My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double
by Tang Ri Shan
Summary: A rogue changeling has stolen a powerful artifact from Princess Twilight, and discovers the portal to Canterlot High while fleeing from the Mane 6. Twilight warns Sunset Shimmer, only to learn that a girl calling herself Twilight Sparkle has already appeared at Canterlot High. Twilight decides to return to the school to face this 'imposter', but is this girl really the changeling?
1. Chapter 1

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(I'm not an uber fan of My Little Pony, but it is a very interesting series, and I especially like their human versions in Equestria girls, so here's my take. Please feel free to criticize (or compliment, that's cool too!))**

**CH 1**

It was a beautiful sunny day. The birds were singing and there was a warm gentle breeze flowing across the lawn of Canterlot High, softly caressing the skin of anyone fortunate enough to be on the lawn that morning. Small groups of students were chatting happily away about whatever struck their fancy. Two girls were bragging about how wealthy they were to anyone who could stand to listen to them, while three young girls chased each other around, each one wearing a shirt that read, _Crusaders_, on the back. A green-skinned boy wearing a recycling T-shirt was leaning against the brick wall of the school strumming on a guitar, while a pale skinned girl with blue hair wearing white and dark sunglasses marched down the entrance from the gate, her head bobbing in time with the music coming from her big headphones.

Suddenly, the main doors to the school burst open and six girls spilled out onto the lawn. Laughing and talking to themselves, they moved as one along the side of the school towards the soccer field.

"I am _so_ gonna kick butt in today's game!" The leader, a blue skinned girl with rainbow-colored hair crowed proudly as she swaggered forward with her nose in the air.

"If anyone can do it, it's you Rainbow Dash" A cream-skinned girl with pink hair commented, though her voice was so soft Rainbow could barely hear her.

"Are you kidding? Of course you're gonna win." A pink girl with poofy bubble-gum hair literally hopped in front of Rainbow Dash. "I mean there's always the slimmest chance you might not win, but seriously, that's not gonna happen because you are like totally the best at every single sport there is. I can't think of-mmph!" Her ranting was suddenly cut off as a hand was placed over her mouth.

"We get it Pinkie" The hand's owner muttered in a southern accent, rolling her eyes before adjusting her cowboy hat and turning to Rainbow. "Just do yer best out there, the rest'll take care of itself"

"I always do my best Applejack" Rainbow Dash smiled even wider. She then turned to another member at the edge of the group. "Thanks agian for designing this outfit Rarity." rainbow Dash gestured to the sky blue sport shirt, white skirt and black leggings that she was wearing. "Though I'm a little surprised you wanted to come watch."

"No problem, darling" An ivory-skinned girl with lavender colored hair purred from the edge of the group. "And why shouldn't I come watch? After all, I've always said, you can only do your best, when you look your best"

"Then why haven't I ever heard you say that?" The final member of the group who was wearing red and black and had flaming red-and-yellow hair piped up, causing Rarity to frown and everyone else to laugh.

"Very funny, Sunset Shimmer. But remember, you haven't been here as long as the rest of us. And for most of that time you were..." Rarity suddenly clapped her hands over her mouth and her cheeks flushed crimson. "Sorry" She squeaked through her fingers and cast a fearful eye at Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer frowned, then sighed, placing one hand on her hip as she scuffed her red boot on the ground. "It's okay" She assured everyone, who had been looking at her with concern in their eyes. "I guess, I'm _still_ getting used to all this" She gestured to her friends, who smiled back at her. She sighed again. "How does Twilight do it? Making friends seemed so easy for her"

"Well, you _were_ her arch-nemesis back then and you weren't keen on making friends, so that kinda helped." Pinkie piped up before being silenced by glares from Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, _but_ you've come a long way since then, and everyone knows it." Rainbow Dash placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "What you did to stop the Dazzlers was awesome!"

"You mean what Twilight did" Sunset corrected, still looking sad. "I just..."

"Just grabbed the reigns when they were knocked from Twilight's hands" Applejack interrupted, thumping Sunset on the back. "Regardless of what you think, we couldn't have stopped them sirens without you, sugar"

Sunset Shimmer brightened. "You think so?" Her friends nodded.

"Now come on, I've got a game to win!" Rainbow Dash called out, charging towards the field.

"Remember to take lots of pictures" Rarity instructed everyone. Sunset Shimmer felt a smile creep back across her face as she reached for the pocket of her skirt...and felt nothing. She frowned and checked the pockets of her jacket, nothing.

"What's wrong Sunset Shimmer?" Sunset looked up to see Fluttershy looking back at her.

"Darn, I must have left my cell phone back at my locker. Tell the others I'll catch up" Fluttershy nodded as Sunset Shimmer turned and trotted back towards the main doors. "Maybe they're right" She said to herself as she passed the girl with the headphones, who smiled and nodded as she passed. "Everyone seems to be getting over what I did here" She smiled as the three crusaders waved at her. "And to think I used to care only about myself. I really owe a lot to-_Twilight?_" Sunset Shimmer stopped dead, her eyes wide, her mouth open. Standing near the statue that served as the gateway to Equestria, her back to Sunset Shimmer, was a familiar looking figure. At the sound of her voice, the figure rose and turned around.

"Yes?" Sunset shimmer felt her mind whir. The girl standing before her looked _kind of_ like Twilight, she had the same skin and and hair color, and her eyes still looked the same, except they were covered by square thick-rimmed glasses. Her hair was down, but it was tied into a braid and she was wearing a long white lab coat. As Sunset stared at her, the figure adjusted her glasses and stared back at her, a confused look on her face. "You _did_ call me, didn't you?"

"T-Twlight S-Sparkle?" Sunset stammered. The girl frowned and narrowed an eye behind her glasses.

"Yes, that's my name" She answered, her tone guarded. "But how did you know that? Who are you?"

* * *

**Strange doings right off the bat! What do you think is going on? Why doesn't Twilight recognize Sunset Shimmer, and why does she look different? **

**Maybe she's not really who Sunset thinks she is and...oops! I'm getting ahead of myself! Don;t worry, chapter 2 is coming soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Didn't know that this story would be read by so many people so quickly! Nice to see people taking an interest. Here's Chapter 2, as I promised!)**

**CH 2**

**(Equestria- the previous evening)**

Luna's night hung over Ponyville, quiet and still. Anypony who was still awake enough to glance at the half-moon that hung in the sky would say that Princess Luna was in a good mood. A warm breeze blew, kissing the muzzles of any pony who would be caught outside, but the streets were deserted...almost.

Under the light of billions of stars, a single shadow detached itself from the overlaying shadows of one of the houses and darted quickly across the street. It's owner, a cloaked pony wearing a black hood, glanced across the street, staring at each darkened window like they were eyes. Seeing no movement, the figure darted quickly down the street towards the shining towers of Princess Twilight's castle.

Stopping at the base of the tree-like structure, the figure cast an eye over the large doors, sniffed, and glanced upwards, scanning the windows, chuckling as it spotted one that was open near the balcony above the doors. The figure lowered its head, looking to see that no pony was watching, then slowly lifted itself up off the ground, its cloak fluttering slightly in the breeze. It rose steadily up to the window then paused before it. The window was not open wide enough to allow it access. The figure snorted, than a green glow appeared on its forehead, outlining a crooked horn there. The window pane glowed with a similar aura and slowly slid open, making a screeching noise in the process. As the figure slipped inside, it kept its ears perked for any signs of movement, but found none. Slipping into the castle, the figure crept across the darkened room to the door, eased it open with magic, and peeked into the hallway. Though she saw nothing, a pair of voices reached her ears.

Down the hallway, a pair of guards had just bumped into each other.

"Hey there Owl Eyes, spot anything?" a gray-flanked unicorn with a cutie mark shaped like a shield asked.

"Nope, nothing." the white-flanked pegasus replied, glancing at his cutie mark, a pair of owl-like eyes. "Just because I have this mark doesn't mean I _can_ see in the dark" He muttered.

"Okay, okay" The unicorn said, smirking. "Just saying that, if something does happen, you'd be among the first to..."

THUNK! Both ponies jumped slightly as a bang echoed from down the hall. "What was that?" The unicorn asked. They glanced down the hall, a door nearby was ajar, swinging in the breeze.

"Wait here, I'll check it out" Owl Eyes said before unfurling his wings and lifting slowly off the floor. With silent wingbeats, he edged towards the door. His companion followed, charging her horn. As Owl Eyes got closer to the door, he thought he could detect sounds coming from within, movement. Narrowing his eyes he silently powered up to the door thanking Celestia that the special feathers that made up his wings enabled silent flight, like an owl. With a glance at his companion, who nodded back at him, Owl Eyes took a deep breath and kicked open the door and charged into the room.

Outside, his companion waited tensely, his horn glowing with a yellow aura. For a moment, there was silence, then owl eyes, stuck his head out the door and motioned for her to come inside. Inside the room, the unicorn shined the light from her horn across the darkened furniture, pausing near the open window. "Was that always open?" She asked. Owl Eyes shrugged. Then the beam from the unicorn's horn fell upon a hatstand that had been knocked over. She chuckled. "_There's_ our noisemaker"

Owl Eyes rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Look at us, getting all hyper over a windblown hatstand." He laughed, turned and flew away as the unicorn moved to re-stand the hatstand. As owl eyes flew away, a sudden "mmmph!" reached his ears and made him hesitate. "Mist Horn? Was that you?" He turned back towards the door. There was no reply. Narrowing his eyes, Owl Eyes flew back towards the door. "Mist Horn?"

Suddenly the unicorn appeared in the doorway. "Yes?" She asked, glancing up at him.

"What was the noise just now?"

"What noise?" The unicorn cocked her head.

Owl Eyes felt his eyes narrow. "I thought I heard somepony cry out"

The unicorn chuckled. "Still feeling 'hyper', huh?" She teased. Owl Eyes felt his cheeks flush. "There's nothing to worry about" She continued. "Now we'd better get back to work before we both get in trouble, right?" She winked at him, slyly closing the door with her rear hoof and trotting away.

Owl Eyes turned to go the other direction, but paused when he heard a whine coming from behind the door. "Must've left the window open" He muttered, turning back. Not wanting a repeat of what had happened, he opened the door, his eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped.

* * *

Mist Horn glanced around her as she approached a large white door. Seeing no one she used her magic to ease the door open very slowly. She stuck her head in and glanced around the darkened room, which consisted of a bed, a desk with a mirror, and an assortment of other furniture. She froze as the bed moved, shifting as Twilight Sparkle moved around trying to get more comfortable under the blanket. Next to the bed, a smaller bed lay and on it Spike the baby dragon was fast asleep muttering something about gemstones.

Ignoring them, the unicorn slipped quietly into the room, creeping across the floor, past the slumbering Twilight and Spike and over to a chest of drawers. One by one, she used her magic to silently open each drawer and examine the contents, glancing over at the sleeping alicorn and dragon from time to time. She froze when spike suddenly shifted in his bed, When she came to the last drawer, she allowed a smile to cross her face and slowly began to lift out a fabric-covered box with a star symbol on it. She set the box down on the dresser and used one hoof to slowly raise the lid. Inside the box lay a diamond bigger than a golf ball surrounded by a thin golden chain. Mist Horn's smile widened as she closed the box and slowly used her magic to place the box into a saddlebag.

However, unknown to her, Spike had woken up, seen what was happening, and quietly woken up Twilight Sparkle. As the thief placed the box in her saddlebag, Twilight got out of her bed, charged up her horn, and said loudly "Looking for something?" As Spike turned on the lamp and the room was flooded with light, the thief jumped and spun around.

"Twilight, I thought you were-" She stammered

"Well you thought wrong Mist Horn" Twilight interrupted, narrowing her eyes. "I don't know why you want the Star Stone, but you will put it back where it belongs"

The gray unicorn paused, smiled, and shook her head. "I can't do that"

"Why not?" Spike asked

"Because I need it" The unicorn's smile grew evil

"Need it for what?" Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes, her horn glowing with pinkish-purple aura. But before any of them could make a move, the doors burst open and Owl Eyes flew into the room.

"Your highness, sorry to bother you but Mist Horn has been..." The pegasus paused as he noticed the unicorn for the first time. His eyes widened in confusion. "How'd you get out of that cocoon so fast?" He demanded

"Cocoon?" Spike looked confused. "Twilight, what's going on?" He asked the lavender alicorn, who was still gazing at the unicorn. She didn't answer Spike's question, but her eyes narrowed.

"Your highness, I came to tell you I've found Mist Horn trapped in a green cocoon. At least.." The pegasus scratched a head with a hoof. "I thought I did"

"No, Owl Eyes" Twilight finally spoke up, her voice cold. "You weren't mistaken, and you did the right thing by coming to me. That isn't Mist Horn!" She framed the unicorn with a glare, who now looked very nervous, her green eyes flashed and her horn glowed with green energy.

"But how is that possble? Unless...she's a changeling!" Spike gasped, staring at Mist Horn's green aura. The unicorn, realizing the jig was up, dashed towards the door. Owl Eyes moved to block her, but she knocked the pegasus out of the way and fled down the hall.

"Stop! Thief!" Twilight yelled as she gave chase.

"INTRUDER!" Owl Eyes yelled as loud as he could. Lights began to flicker on around the castle.

* * *

**Okay, this was probably not what you were expecting, but the way I figure, if you want a good story, start at the beginning and build up. Patience! We'll get to the good stuff soon! Remember to comment and Review! **


	3. Chapter 3

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Why is it that scenes I plan for one chapter always end up being split into two chapters? Oh well, anyway, here's the next one. Enjoy!)**

**CH 3**

As Owl Eyes yelled "INTRUDER!" lights began appearing all over the castle. Doors opened and ponies began to stir.

"Twilight, what's happening?" Rarity exclaimed as she emerged from her room, jumping out of the way as Twilight ran past.

"Changeling!" Twilight yelled back. Rarity gasped, then her eyes narrowed and she joined the chase.

"Changeling? Where?" Applejack yelled as she caught up.

"Just ahead!" Twilight panted as they skidded around the corner just in time to see a gray unicorn dash down the hall. "There she is!"

"I'm on it!" A rainbow-colored blur zoomed past them and was upon the fleeing thief in an instant. Knocking her down, the two wrestled in a maze of shifting color, until one of them broke away and flew down the hall.

"After her!" Twilight yelled and they turned the corner, but the unicorn had disappeared.

"Where'd she go?" Rarity yelled.

"FOUND HER!" Pinkie Pie popped out of nowhere, startling everyone, including a second Rainbow Dash, who popped out from behind a dresser where she had been hiding. Immediately Twilight and Rarity erected a barrier around her.

"Let me go! You've got the wrong one!" The changeling shrieked in Rainbow Dash's voice.

"Ha! Nice Try, but it won't work! No one can be as awesome as me!" The _real_ Rainbow Dash yelled back, causing Applejack to roll her eyes. The fake growled and shifted back into her changeling form. Blue skin gave way to a black shell, feathers faded into insect-like membranes and Rainbow Dash's features dissolved into a snarling black face with fangs, a crooked horn, and green eyes that glowed dimly. The captured changeling hissed angrily at the crowd outside her barrier. Fluttershy backed away and nearly every other pony flinched, most of these guards hadn't been at the royal wedding, so they weren't used to changelings. Twilight glanced at Rarity and nodded. The ivory unicorn nodded back and closed her eyes, concentrating as Twilight powered down her horn, leaving her friend to keep the barrier in place.

"Now tell me, changeling" Twilight spat the last word. "What does Queen Chrysalis want with the Star Stone?"

The changeling growled, then closed her mouth and stood on her cloven, hole-covered hooves. She gave Twilight a long look, than closed her eyes. Her body was suddenly enveloped in a green halo and she changed forms again, into an exact replica of Twilight. Smiling smugly at the shocked reactions of the assembled guards, she answered, in a perfect replica of Twilight's voice. "First, I do _happen_ to have a name, it's Imitae. Second, I do not know Queen Chrysalis' plans because I do not work for her, and third..." She paused and cocked her head. "What exactly _is_ a Star Stone?"

"Ha! Don't try to confuse us!" Pinkie Pie rushed up to the cage. "You know perfectly well what a Star Stone is!" Then she paused. "What _is_ a Star Stone?" She whispered loudly back towards Twilight. Everypony face-hooved.

"_The_ Star Stone" Twilight explained, still glaring at the Changeling, "is one of the final relics of Starswirl the Bearded, some say it was the source of his power. It was entrusted to my by Princess Celestia herself, so I would appreciate you _giving it back!"_ Twilight gritted her teeth at the last three words, but maybe that was because Imitae was now copying Twilight's moments with her mouth, but making it so they looked really silly.

"Powerful, huh?" The impostor Twilight asked mockingly, using her magic to levitate the gemstone out of the bags. "Funny, I just took it because I like shiny, sparkly rocks. They sell for quite a bit in the right places, you know."

"Why I never! Clearly you know nothing about gems!" Rarity spluttered angrily,Spike growled at her side, the barrier around the impostor twilight seemed to flicker. The changeling saw this and smirked.

"What is there to really know? I mean, that's all that shiny rocks are good for, right Rarity? You know all about that, wouldn't you?" She taunted, focusing on Rarity, who growled like a tiger. The light around her horn flickered and so did the barrier.

Twilight saw what was happening. "Rarity, focus!" She warned, adding her power to the barrier.

"But if this hunk of rock really does have power, than maybe..." Imitae closed her eyes tightly and concentrated hard. The stone suddenly glowed green and the impostor's horn flared. A beam of bright light erupted from the edge and crashed against the barrier, shattering it, and flinging everyone else back. "Thank you for the information!" The impostor Twilight sang out as she took wing and flew down the hall.

"After her!" The real Twilight yelled, rising unsteadily to her feet. Owl Eyes and the other pegasi guards took to the air, with Rainbow Dash in the lead, while the other Mane 6 thundered down the hall along with the other guards. Twilight made to follow when she saw that Rarity had not moved from where she had fallen. "Rarity, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry Twilight" Rarity rolled over and Twilight could see shame in her friend's jewel-like eyes. "For letting her use me. I should have know better than to fall for that."

"It's okay" Twilight assured her friend. "Changelings are shape-shifters. Using people is what they do best. Now come on, let's find her!" Rarity leapt to her hooves, smiling now and they twosome galloped off after the other guards. As they rounded the corner, and galloped towards the throne room, neither pony noticed a passing door swing silently shut, nor the bright flash of light that briefly shone from under the door. Spike did notice the light, but he thought little of it.

* * *

**And that brings us to where we left off. So, now that we know how Twilight gets into this mess, the question now becomes; how does she get out of it? All this and more may be answered in the next chapter, so stay tuned!**


	4. Chapter 4

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Hello again everyone! You would not believe how long it took me to write this chapter. Seriously, I had to re-write it like, five times!****)**

**CH 4**

(Canterlot High- Current)

"Who are you?"

For a few seconds, Sunset Shimmer just stood there, stunned.

Twilight adjusted her glasses and waved her hand in front of Sunset's face. "Hello, are you in there?"

Sunset shook her head, snapping herself out of the shock. "Yeah, sorry." She apologized, looking flustered. "I just wasn't expecting to see you again so quickly."

"Again?" Twilight cocked her head. "But we've never met before" She said, looking confused. "At least, I don;t think we have" She scratched her head. "What's your name again?"

Sunset Shimmer felt her jaw drop. "Twilight, It's me! Sunset Shimmer!" She searched the girl's face eagerly, hoping for some spark of recognition, but saw none. "Did you hit your head coming through the portal, or something?" Sunset reached for Twilight's head, but the girl took a step backwards.

"Portal? What portal?" Twilight asked, her eyes suddenly narrowing. Sunset suddenly felt a feeling of dread rush up her spine. Something was seriously wrong here, and it wasn't the fact that one of her best friends didn't seem to know her. There was an almost hungry look in her eyes.

"HEY SUNSET SHIMMER!" Both girl's jumped at Pinkie Pie's voice. "The soccer game is starting, are you coming or not?" Pinkie Pie, who was peeking around the edge of the building, gave a great gasp. "TWILIGHT! YOU'RE BACK!" She squealed so loud it caused both girls to cover their ears and eyes. When Sunset opened hers again, Pinkie was smothering Twilight in an enormous hug. "Oh it's _sooo_ great to see you again! Oh the others will be so happy to see you again! You look great, Twilight! What are you doing here? Is there more trouble? I mean there hasn't really been any trouble since you defeated the Dazzlers, but then you've only come here from Equestria when there's been trouble so maybe there's some trouble now!"

"Let her breathe Pinkie!" Sunset interrupted, a grin on her face. Though it faded slightly when she saw the confused and uncomfortable look on Twilight's face.

"Come on, come on! Rainbow Dash is just about to whup the butts of the Trottingham soccer team!" She exclaimed, practically bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, began dragging Twilight towards the soccer field. Sunset hesitated, and shook her head. _Maybe I'm just imagining things._ She thought to herself. _But how could Twilight stand there and not know who I was? It's like this isn't the Twilight I know. Any why didn't she bring Spike with her?_ She glanced around, searching for the purple dog. She'd figured those two were practically inseparable, yet he was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey Twilight, where's Spike?" Sunset called. Twilight shot Sunset another peculiar look, one that was half surprise, half confusion.

"Umm...I left him at home" She replied, then Pinkie Pie yanked her around the corner before she could say anything else. Sunset felt a smile creep across her face. _That explains it!_ She thought to herself as she began to follow them. _Spike probably just couldn't come with her this time._ Then she frowned again. That still didn't explain Twilight's new look though. _Oh stop worrying!_ She assured herself. _Twilight's here, and everything's gonna be fine!_ Smiling again, she raced to catch up with her friends.

* * *

Sunset found the other girls sprawled up watching the soccer game. Applejack was leaning against the bleachers watching the players run up and down the field. Next to her, Rarity was applying a coat of polish to her already sparkling nails. Next to her, Fluttershy was tapping something on her cell phone. To Sunset's surprise, Rainbow Dash was there as well, bouncing a soccer ball back and forth from one knee to the other.

"Oh girls!" Pinkie Pie sang out. "Look who we found!"

The girls looked up. "TWILIGHT!" They shouted and rushed over and began bombarding her with questions.

"What are you doing back here?"

"It's so great to see you!"

"Where's Spike?"

"Why _are_ you dressed like that?" Sunset shot Rarity a look and the girl shrugged her shoulders as though that was a completely normal question.

"Let her breathe everyone" She said, stepping in front of her. "She's feeling a little woozy after her journey" She spoke in a harder tone and the four girls backed off, nodding.

"No, It's okay. I'm fine" Twilight argued, smiling and stepping around Sunset. "It's great to see all of you. I-I guess I've been so busy lately I've forgotten just about everything. Sorry" She glanced down apologetically.

"Ha, don't worry about it, sugar" Applejack patted Twilight on the shoulder. "At least you remember us!"

"Or does she?" Rainbow suddenly narrowed her eyes and leaned in to look Twilight up and down. "What's my name?" She demanded.

"Uh..." twilight looked confused for a second, then brightened. "You're Rainbow Dash" She announced.

Rainbow Dash nodded, looking satisfied. "Yep, she's the real thing"

But Sunset wasn't so sure. She didn't think that it would take Twilight that long to come up with an answer. Back when she was a 'bad girl', Sunset had learned to read other people's expressions. Since her unicorn magic didn't work here, she'd learned to rely on other sources of power. It was amazing how much people revealed without ever opening their mouths. Body positions, arm and leg posture, movement of the eyes. She had learned to read people's feelings by studying these movements. And right now, she was getting all sots of bad signals from Twilight.

"Hey Rainbow, why aren't you out in the field kicking butt" Pinkie suddenly asked.

"Yeah, why are you hanging out with us 'little people'?" Sunset added, causing everyone except Twilight to chuckle.

Rainbow scoffed as she stared out at the field, watching her blue-and-gold colored teammates run up and down the field with the red-and-black Trottingham players in hot pursuit. "Everyone already know show awesome I am, so I figured, why not let the newbies have their time in the spotlight" Rainbow turned wearing a proud smile to see everyone gaping at her. "What?" She asked, now looking annoyed.

"Can it be?" Fluttershy finally spoke up. "Has Rainbow Dash finally learned humility?" For a few seconds, no one spoke, then everyone started laughing. Rainbow looked annoyed for a second, but then she too burst out laughing.

"Good one Fluttershy!" The pink-haired girl blushed and tilted her head to her bangs covered most of her face, but she was laughing too.

Sunset was about to comment when she felt her backpack begin to vibrate. She frowned. There were only two thing she carried that vibrated, her phone, and the magic book she used to contact Twilight in Equestria, and her phone was in her locker. Sure enough, when she glanced at the book it was vibrating and the cutie mark emblem on the cover was flashing. Someone from Equestria was trying to contact her. But who? Then Sunset's eyes widened. Maybe it was Princess Celestia? Feeling excited now, Sunset slid off to the side, away from the group, who were now chatting with each other. Even Twilight was contributing, even though she still looked uneasy. Satisfied that she wouldn't be disturbed, Sunset opened the book and flipped to a page that was glowing. If it was Princess Celestia, she wanted it to be private. She found a page with glowing words on it, and started reading:

_Dear Sunset Shimmer,_

_I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write back to you, but I have been very busy lately. Last evening, a Changeling thief named Imitae broke into my castle and stole a powerful relic, the Star Stone. You may or may not know his, but the Star Stone was a powerful magical artifact belonging to Starswirl the Bearded. It is rumored to still have great powers, which is why Princess Celestia lent it to me for study. We've been searching all night in both the castle and Ponyville, but there has been no trace of her. Of course, with her shape-shifting powers, it's not surprising, She even assumed my appearance and mocked me in front of my pony friends! _

_So, how is everyone doing at Canterlot High? Once this business with Imitae is concluded, I was thinking of coming for a visit. I could use some peace and quiet._

_Your dear friend,_

_Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship_

As Sunset Shimmer read the letter, she could feel her excitement draining out of her like water through a sieve, being replaced by confusion and fear. "This makes no sense. How could Twilight be writing to me from Equestria when she's already here?" She muttered to herself. She read the letter again. Two phrases leapt out at her "Changeling thief" and "assumed my appearance" Her eyes widened. "A changeling?" Sunset had heard rumors about these creatures, but had never seen them. She slowly looked up from the book and glanced in the direction of her friends, who were all in a group hug now, with Twilight in the center. Something inside her head seemed to click and she felt a frown cross her face. No wonder Twilight didn't seem to recognize her. No wonder she seemed confused as to where she was. Maybe this wasn't Twilight at all!

As if homing in on her thoughts 'Twilight' glanced her way and noticed Sunset's frown, her own smile faded. "Hey Sunset, is everything okay?" She called, causing everyone else to look around. Sunset froze. Part of her wanted to confront the impostor right then and there, but no one in this world knew about changelings, and Sunset was worried that the others wouldn't believe her.

So she forced a smile and nodded. "I'll be over in a second. Just gotta finish this homework piece" She said, hiding the book cover from them before opening to a blank page.

"Yeah, I gotta get on the field anyway, looks like the Wonder Colts need me" Rainbow excused herself before jogging over to the coach. As her friends sat down to watch, Sunset caught 'Twilight's' hand sneak into her pocket and she winced, but the girl simply withdrew a phone and began snapping pictures of the game. As she did, Rarity and Fluttershy both put their arms around her. Sunset felt a sudden surge of anger and jealousy. She picked up her pen and began writing a reply.

* * *

**Well, that's enough for now. What do you all think? Probably not much excitement happening now, I'm sorry, but I'll make it up to you later on. Like I've said before, my stories tend to write themselves. You'll definitely see more action later on. **


	5. Chapter 5

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Here's another update for ya!****)**

**CH 5**

(Ponyville- Current)

_Dear Twilight Sparkle,_

_I think I know what happened to your thief. There's a girl here who looks almost exactly like you and claims her name is Twilight Sparkle. Everyone believes that she is you. I did too, though she didn't seem to recognize me, until I received your message. She could be this Imitae you mentioned. What do you think I should do? No one here knows about changelings, and I have a feeling our friends would not believe me if I confronted her._

_Your friend,_

_Sunset Shimmer_

As Twilight finished reading the letter in the enchanted book, she felt her heart sink. So _that_ was where Imitae had disappeared to! It made sense. The spells Twilight had cast during night would have informed her if Imitae had tried to sneak out in disguise, so they had searched the castle from top to bottom last night, but hadn't found any trace of the changeling. But Twilight hadn't counted on Imitae finding the portal to Canterlot High, much less that she would learn how to use it. And now that changeling was prancing around the school pretending to be her! Twilight groaned angrily, causing her friends to look up from whatever they were doing.

"Twilight, what's the matter?" Fluttershy asked from her throne.

"Sunset Shimmer responded to my letter" Twilight muttered darkly.

"And that's a bad thing?" Rainbow Dash cocked her head, looking confused. "I thought you and Sunset Shimmer were friends now"

"We are, that's not the problem. But according to Sunset, a girl who looks just like my human form has appeared at Canterlot High and everyone thinks she's me" Twilight replied, making everyone gasp.

"You don't think it's Imitae, do you?" Rarity gasped, looking horrified.

"It's gotta be!" Rainbow Dash snorted. "How else could you explain Twilight being here and at Canterlot High at the same time?"

"I dunno, it might not be Imitae" Pinkie Pie spoke up, making everyone look at her.

"And how do ya figure that, Pinkie?" Applejack asked.

"Well, from what Twilight has told us, there is a version of each of us at Canterlot High, right? So wouldn't it make sense that there is a version of Twilight there as well?" Pinkie asked. For a moment, everyone just sat there, looking at her.

"Sometimes I forget how smart you can be, Pinkie" Rainbow commented. Pinkie flashed a big grin at her while Applejack rolled her eyes.

"Hmm, Pinkie does have a point" Twilight nodded at her pink-haired friend. "But if I do have a human counterpart at Canterlot High, why haven't I met her yet?"

"The timing _is_ rather odd" Rarity agreed, but Twilight had suddenly noticed Spike looking nervous.

"What is it, Spike?" Twilight asked. The purple dragon shifted his feet, suddenly unable to meet his friend's gaze.

"I just remembered something" He admitted. "While we were searching the castle, I saw a flash of light come from under one of the doors. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure it was the room where the portal is" His fins drooped as Rarity and Rainbow Dash shot him dark looks.

"You're telling us this _now_?" Rarity exclaimed.

"We were kinda busy!" Spike argued. Applejack rolled her eyes again and Fluttershy shook her head sadly.

"Busy looking for that changeling!" Rainbow Dash lifted off her throne with powerful beats of her wings. "If you had told us sooner, we could have..."

"QUIET!" Twilight yelled, causing all assembled to fall silent. "Let's make sure!" She rose to her feet and took off, her friends at her heels.

A few minutes later, Twilight stood before the mirror that served as a gateway to Canterlot High. Twilight took a deep breath to clear her mind, closed her eyes, and concentrated. Her horn glowed lavender and the mirror was covered in a similar-colored aura for a minute. Though the other ponies saw no change in the color, Twilight sighed sadly as she opened her eyes and the aura disappeared. "Spike is right, the portal h_as_ been used recently" She announced to her friends.

"But how?" Rarity asked, her eyes wide. "You have the book, and that is the key to opening the portal!"

"Maybe it was the Star Stone. You did say it had power, didn't you?" Pinkie Pie chirped, causing everyone to face-hoof.

"It would appear so" Twilight agreed, her eyes narrowing. "Somehow the power of the Star Stone must have opened the portal."

"So then that other Twilight _must_ be Imitae!" Rarity snorted, her eyes narrowing.

"We don't know that. Pinkie could be right too!" Applejack argued, causing her friend to beam.

"We know that the portal has been used recently, it must have been by Imitae!" Rainbow Dash counter-argued.

"So what can we do?" Fluttershy asked.

"I have to go after her!" Twilight announced, stepping towards the portal, only for Applejack to bar her path.

"Woah there Twi, not that I don't agree with ya, but last time you warned _us_ not to come because of the confusion of there being two sets of us, what's gonna happen when Canterlot High sees two of _you_?"

Her friend's words made Twilight pause, she frowned, then her eyes lit up. "You're right, if they _saw_ two of me" She smiled and she used her magic to levitate the book over to a table. Lifting a pen with her teeth she began writing a quick message on the book's pages, while everyone else glanced at each other. When she was finished she used her magic to levitate the book up to the stand above the portal.

"You're still gonna go?" Applejack asked.

"I have to" Twilight replied. "Even if by some chance this 'other Twilight' isn't Imitae, That changeling is still in that world _with_ the Star Stone. I have to find her and get it back"

"Maybe we should go with you this time" Rarity asked, looking somewhat hopeful, an opinion voiced by the other girls.

Twilight smiled. "Sorry girls, but again, not a good idea. As Applejack said, seeing two sets of us would cause just the sort of confusion that Imitae would take advantage of."

"But what about this 'other you'?" Fluttershy didn't look convinced.

"I've got an idea about that" Twilight replied, smiling. "Coming, Spike?" She called to her assistant, who brightened.

"You bet I'm coming!" The little dragon came to stand beside Twilight as she used her magic to activate the mechanism. Magic flowed from the book through the presses, pink and purple energy sparked around the mirror and the glass shimmered and dissolved, revealing a swirling pink-and-white vortex.

"Ready?" Twilight asked.

"Ready" Spike nodded.

"GOOD LUCK!" Her friends all cheered as they charged into the portal.

* * *

"WOOOAAAOOOAAAAOOOOOAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Twilight screamed as she fell through the spiraling vortex and shot through the gateway, landing with flat on her back with a painful thud on the hard concrete. Before she could react, spike landed heavily on her stomach, causing Twilight to gasp in pain.

"Get off" She wheezed. Spike, now in his purple dog form, scrambled to comply, the gold tag on his collar jingling. For a few seconds, Twilight just lay on the ground, her eyes closed. Going through the portal was _not fun!_

"You okay, Twilight?" Spike's voice made Twilight open her eyes and sit up, grasping her throbbing head with her human hands. Opening her eyes she saw a fer cars driving down the road in front of the school, and the white horse statue whose base served as the gateway back to Equestria. Glancing down hat herself, Twilight saw that she was human again, with lavender skin, a blue blouse with a pink bow tie, dark purple pleated skirt, purple and pink legwarmers and black dress shoes. She sighed, she was actually growing to like this form of her. While she couldn't use magic of fly in this form, except when playing music, it did have its perks. She smiled, wiggling her fingers. She wondered if her friends back home would recognize her if they say her like this. She glanced at Spike, taking in his purple skin and green clumps of fur. He smiled back, then his glance changed to something behind Twilight and he wagged his tail.

"Welcome back, Twilight" A voice and footsteps behind her made Twilight glance around. Sunset Shimmer was standing a few feet away, extending a hand. Twilight smiled as she grasped it and allowed her friend to help her to her feet.

"Good to be back" She replied as she wobbled a little on her two feet before finding her balance. Sunset raised an eyebrow and sniggered, before her gaze landed on Spike.

"Hey Spike, how's it going?" The red-haired girl knelt down to stroke Spike on the head.

"Heh, not bad, though it could be better" Spike admitted, glancing around the barren lawn.

Sunset's smile grew wider. "If you're looking for Rarity, she's still at the soccer game with everyone else" Sunset paused, then glanced at Twilight, her smile fading slightly. "Including the 'other you'." She added.

Twilight nodded, her smile also fading. "Good, I was counting on that, did you get what I asked for?"

Sunset nodded, patting her backpack. "And I know where we can find the stuff to complete it. Follow me" Sunset took off running, with Twilight and Spike right behind her.

A few minutes later, the threesome found themselves in the school drama department. Sunset led them into the backstage area of the auditorium. "You should find everything you need back there." She pointed to a dressing screen. "You sure you don't want any help" She asked as she tossed Twilight her backpack.

"I should be fine." Twilight smiled in reply before darting behind the screen. Sunset sat down on a couch to wait with Spike.

"So, besides this whole changeling dilemma, how are things in Equestria?" She asked, turning to look at Spike, who had curled up on a rug.

"Not bad, there really hasn't been much trouble." Spike commented. "Even Discord is behaving himself" Sunset rolled her eyes. Even she had heard about Discord, the entity of chaos. "Truth be told, there hasn't been much to do. It's almost been...boring" Spike sighed, then he caught Sunset's smirk. "Not that there's anything wrong with boring"

"Of course not" Sunset nodded, but Spike caught the sarcasm in her voice.

"So, how are things here?" Spike asked, trying to change the topic.

"Well, not too bad, actually. The Dazzlers split up after they were defeated, I see them around occasionally, but almost never together anymore." Sunset reported. "Despite their intentions, the battle of the bands idea has stuck, I think Principle Celestia is planning one next year."

"You don't say" Spike commented, scratching behind his ear.

"On a personal note, the Rainbooms are doing great. We're actually scheduled to play at the School Halloween Party in two days time." Sunset's smile widened. "You should hear the songs Fluttershy has written for it."

"Halloween?" Spike cocked his head.

"It's kinda like Nightmare Night, except there's no Nightmare Moon" Sunset Shimmer explained. "If you and Twilight are still around, you should totally try to come, everyone always makes the most outlandish costumes and the treats are to die for." Sunset giggled when she noticed Spike's mouth start to water.

"Well, it would depend on what Twilight thinks" Spike countered.

Sunset snorted and shook her head.

"Well? How to I look?" Sunset and Spike both looked up at Twilight's voice, and their jaws dropped. Standing before them was a completely different girl, Twilight's purple hair was now snowy white with streaks of pink and purple and her lavender skin had been lightened to pink. She was wearing a blue pleated skirt, a white top with a blue heart in the center, and pink-and-gold boots. Even her eye color had changed. If it wasn't for her voice, Sunset and Spike wouldn't have recognized her.

"Wow" Sunset sounded as stunned as she looked.

"Twilight?" Spike gasped.

"Yep" The girl nodded. "If I'm dressed like this, I can walk around the school freely and investigate this 'other me' without freaking everyone out"

Sunset rose to her feet and slowly circled her friend, examining her new look with an eagle eye. "Very impressive" She judged when she had come full circle. "Even Rarity wouldn't recognize you."

"_I _don't recognize you!" Spike exclaimed. "You look amazing!"

"You think so?" Twilight asked, adjusting her 'hair' nervously.

"You might want to work on your voice though" Sunset commented. Twilight nodded, and took a deep breath, steeling herself for an unavoidable encounter as she followed Sunset outside. It was time to meet her 'double'.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN! Disguises! I LOVE EM! What do ya think of that?**

**A lot of you are thinking that this 'other twilight' is the human twilight. But if that's true, where did the changeling go? Give me your theories!**

**FYI: This will probably be my last update for a while. I've landed a new job that will keep me VERY busy for the next few months. I'll try to update this and my other stories when I can, but they'll probably be few and far between until summer. Keep reading, and KEEP POSTING! It may speed the process up a bit!**


	6. Chapter 6

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Is it Summer Already? No? Well I have a new chapter for you anyway! Enjoy!****)**

**CH 6**

Twilight took a deep breath to steady herself as she followed Sunset Shimmer out to the soccer field. She reached up and straightened her 'hair', a white wig that she had found in the drama department

"You sure you're ready for this?" Sunset asked, giving her friend a concerned look. Twilight nodded, looking determined. Sunset lead her around to where the bleachers were. Twilight stopped as she saw her friends clustered around the far end and a smile broke across her face. Rainbow Dash was standing nearest the field, shouting encouragement to her teammates. Next to her, Applejack was leaning back on her seat, fanning her face with her western hat. Pinkie Pie was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet as she watched the players race back and forth across the pitch. Next to Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy were gossiping happily with another girl. Twilight gave a start as she took in the appearance of her doppelganger. Sunset wasn't kidding. Take away the white lab coat and that girl could have been Twilight's twin sister.

"Wow" Twilight exclaimed softly.

"I know" Sunset nodded. "She looks even more like you now that she took her glasses off"

"Glasses?" Twilight started. "She was wearing glasses?"

"Yeah, when I first saw her. She must have taken them off" Sunset looked confused when she saw the frown appear on Twilight's face.

"You didn't say she was wearing glasses in your letter" Twilight glanced at Sunset.

Sunset cocked her head, still confused. "I guess not. Should I have?" She asked.

"From what I've read, Changelings _don't wear_ glasses" Twilight explained. "Also, even if they did, _I_ don't, so I doubt Imitae would use glasses if she was imitating me"

"But if that girl's not a changeling, how come she looks almost exactly like you?" Sunset asked. Twilight told Sunset about Pinkie Pie's 'twin' theory. Her eyes widened and she face-palmed. "I did not even think of that" She admitted, then looked disappointed. "Looks like I dragged you all the way over here for nothing."

"No Sunset, you did the right thing contacting me." Twilight assured her friend. "My 'twin' may not be Imitae, but that changeling _is_ here in this world and she has the Star Stone."

"You think we should tell the others about this?" Sunset asked as they started walking towards the group.

Twilight paused and thought for a minute, then shook her head. "Too risky" She theorized. "Like I told my friends back in Equestria, seeing doubles here could cause just the kind of confusion Imitae would take advantage of."

"Good point" Sunset nodded.

"Besides, I'm not _entirely_ sure that my twin isn't Imitae" Twilight admitted, causing Sunset to chuckle. Twilight started to walk towards her friends, but Sunset held her back.

"I think I'd better go first, if we're going to pass you off as a new student, you need to look the part" She whispered, gave Twilight a wink, then took her hand and began leading her towards the bleachers.

Twilight gave Sunset a grateful smile back and then gazed out at the football field as they walked, her face adopting a look of awe, like she was seeing it for the first time. She tried to reflect back to how she felt when she had first arrived and drew on those feelings. It came back to her surprisingly easily.

"Hey girls!" Sunset called. Twilight saw everyone turn to look at her, and everyone waved and smiled, including her 'doppelganger'.

"Sunset, you're back!" Applejack exclaimed

"And you brought a FRIEND!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing over to them and started rambling. "Hi there! I'm Pinkie Pie, what's your name? I like your outfit? Are you new here? Oh, of course you're new here! I mean I know like, everybody, at Canterlot High and I don't remember seeing you, though..." Pinkie suddenly paused and leaned forward until she was nose-to-nose with Twilight, and she frowned, like she was concentrating. "There's something about you, something _very_ familiar. Not that I can put my finger on it, but I just have this...hunch" She said.

Twilight suddenly felt _very_ nervous. In Ponyville, Pinkie Pie was always talking about her 'Pinkie Sense' and how it could predict things. If this Pinkie Pie also had one, Twilight could be in trouble. She hitched a scared look on her face, shied away from Pinkie and took a few steps back. "R-really?" She squeaked, deliberately making her voice higher pitched.

"Pinkie, don't scare her!" Sunset scolded her, gently pushing her pink haired friend back a step. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet..." Sunset paused with her mouth open. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

Twilight felt her heart quicken as everyone glanced at her. She couldn't say her name was Twilight, that would throw off everything! She glanced down, thinking quickly and noticed the blue heart emblem on her shirt, just like the cutie mark of her friend Princess Cadence. She smiled, but not too widely and looked up through her white 'hair'. "M-my name is Cadence" She stammered in a high voice. "I'm brand new here" She glanced down and scuffed her boot, avoiding their eyes, trying to play the part of a shy new girl.

"Howdy, I'm Applejack" Twilight looked up to see her friend smiling at her and extending her hand. As Twilight shook Applejack's hand, she looked into the eyes of her friend and she saw no sign of recognition. Her disguise was working! "That's Fluttershy over there" She pointed to Fluttershy, who his her face behind her bangs and gave a shy wave. Twilight smiled at her and waved back. "And you've already met Pinkie Pie" Pinkie jumped up and down clapping, a big grin plastered all across her face.

"Hello darling, I'm Rarity" The ivory-skinned girl purred as she strode forward and smoothly extended her hand. "And may I just say, your outfit is simply _de_vine?! You have seriously good taste! Oh, you _must_ tell me where you bought it"

"Th-thank you" Twilight stammered, feeling genuine embarrassment. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sunset raise an eyebrow and the corner of her mouth twitched. Twilight couldn't blame her. If Rarity knew where she'd really gotten her outfit, she's probably gasp in disbelief.

"Hey there!" Rainbow Dash strode forward. "I'm Rainbow Dash, the most awesome girl you'll ever meet!" Instead of shaking hands, she offered Twilight a fist bump, which she returned hesitantly.

"And that there, is our final friend, Twilight Sparkle" Applejack motioned to 'Twilight' who had not moved from the bench. Twilight tried to give a friendly smile, but inside she felt funny, staring at a living, breathing twin of herself. For a moment, the two girls just stared at each other, then "Twilight" slowly rose from her seat, placed her book down, and shook hands with Twilight.

"Nice to meet you, Candace" She said in a perfect replica of Twilight's voice. Twilight fought the urge to shudder. Memories of the royal wedding invaded her mind and it was all she could do to keep grasping "Twilight"'s hand or keep the smile on her face.

"It's nice to meet you too, Twilight Sparkle" She said, raising her head to look into "Twilight's" eyes. She saw that they were purple and full of curiosity and intelligence, not a speck of green or wickedness in them, they looked exactly like hers did every time she looked in a mirror. Her hands didn't feel any different either. Could she really have been wrong?

"So, Candace, where did you transfer here from?" Rainbow Dash's voice cut through Twilight's thoughts. She glanced up to see the blue-skinned girl bouncing her soccer ball from one knee to the other.

"Um..from a school _very very_ far away" Twilight replied, still keeping her head down as she sat down on the bleacher. As she did, she noticed Fluttershy suddenly look confused. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Fluttershy jumped with an "eep!" "I'm sorry." She apologized, sitting back down again. "It's just, that's what Twilight said when she first came here"

"I did?" Now 'Twilight' looked confused. "When did I say that?"

"When you first came here, before...well you know" Fluttershy's voice softened as she glanced at Twilight, then her friends.

"_Uh oh"_ Twilight felt her pulse quicken as she caught the confused look on her double's face. She glanced at Sunset shimmer and saw alarm in the red-haired girl's eyes. This was not looking good!


	7. Chapter 7

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Have you seen those new short music videos that came out March 31? They were real inspirational to me!****)**

**CH 7**

Twilight's mind began to whir, and she could feel droplets of sweat start to appear on her forehead. She could see her double glance from one girl to the other, when no one spoke, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Hey Rainbow Dash!" Sunset Shimmer cut her off. "Are we still going to rehearse after the game?" Twilight shot Sunset a grateful smile and the flame-haired girl winked back.

"That's the plan!" Rainbow Dash replied, glancing back towards the field. "Yeah! That's showing 'em. Kick some flank!" She yelled out towards the soccer players

'Twilight Sparkle' looked annoyed at being interrupted, but closed her mouth. Twilight gave a small sigh of relief, then giving Sunset a surprised look, she asked. "Rehearse? Are you and Rainbow Dash...in a band, Sunset Shimmer?"

"Yep, we all are" Applejack answered, leaning back in her chair.

"All of you?" Twilight gasped, putting a look of amazement on her face. "Wow! That's so cool! You girls are all so lucky!"

Sunset snorted, though Twilight wasn't sure if she was laughing or not.

"Yeah, we're the Rainbooms." Pinkie bounced over, plopped herself down next to Twilight and started explaining "Rainbow Dash came up with the name, she's the lead singer and plays electric guitar. Applejack plays the base, Rarity plays the Key-tar, Fluttershy plays the tambourine, and I play the drums. Sunset Shimmer is our newest member, she plays the guitar and she sings backup along with Fluttershy."

"Wow" Twilight gasped, pretending to look amazed, but she felt the slightest twinge of jealousy that her name wasn't mentioned. "That sounds like a lot of fun!"

"Are you kidding? It's AWESOME!" Pinkie Pie shrieked, making everyone wince.

"Hey! That's my line!" Rainbow Dash spun around, looking annoyed. But Pinkie had started ranting again and ignored her.

"We meet almost everyday afterschool and we play and practice and play some more and the songs are soooo good! Fluttershy wrote most of them, but every so often we all have a turn to write a song that we play. And when we play, it's such an awesome feeling, you might say it's..._magical_" At that last word, Pinkie glanced at 'Twilight' and winked. 'Twilight' cocked her head, looking more confused now than ever.

"Wow" Twilight interrupted before her double could ask a question. "I wish I could be in a band"

"Really? Well, what do you play, darling?" Rarity piped up, looking up from where she had been filing her nails

"Well, I...don't really play anything." Twilight could easily mimic looking embarrassed, partially because she was. Suddenly an idea popped into her head and she continued. "I mean...I can sing, but that's pretty much it"

"You can sing?" Sunset asked, raising her eyebrows in a questioning look

"Well, yeah" Twilight nodded "But I'm not very good at it" She quickly added, trying to sound humble.

"Cool! Can you sing for us now?" Pinkie asked, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Now? As in, right now?" Twilight felt genuine nervousness appear on her face, and she suddenly had doubts about her idea as she looked from one eager face to another. Everyone nodded, including 'Twilight', who tugged on the collar of her lab coat. "Well, okay" She conceded. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to sing:

_"I've never seen a place, that's quite like this._

_Everything is turned around, this crazy world is upside down._

_Getting on my feet, it's the hand that I was dealt_

_But I don't have much time with them, got to learn all that I can._

_They don't use any magic, or fly with any wings_

_I don't get these funny clothes, skinny legs and a tiny nose_

_Everything's so different when it seems so new_

_But I look a little closer it starts to look familiar too_

_What a strange new wo-orld_

_I'm trying to make heads or tails of a strange new wo-orld_

_What a strange new wo-orld!_

_Sorting through the small details of a strange new world"_

As Twilight sang, she glanced at everyone's face, looking for a reaction. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were all smiling. Even Rainbow Dash had turned away form the field to listen, she raised an eyebrow at the second verse and locked eyes with Applejack, who shrugged. Sunset shimmer looked confused, but then snorted at the second verse, her eyes sparkling with laughter. As Twilight finished singing, she glanced at her double, but did not see any sign of confusion or recognition from her, aside from a smile that widened when she saw Twilight looking her way.

"Wow, that was beautiful" Fluttershy said after Twilight had finished

"It sure was" Pinkie Pie agreed, then she rubber her chin thoughtfully

"I admit you have a good singing voice, darling" Rarity snorted, narrowing her eyes a little and glancing at her outfit. "But I find your choice of lyrics a little...degrading"

"Not to mention a little...wrong" Rainbow Dash snorted, feeling her nose. "'Tiny nose', really?"

"Heh heh" Twilight gave a nervous chuckle. "I-I told you I wasn't very good" She muttered. She could see Sunset Shimmer was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Well, I for one thought it was great" 'Twilight' spoke up, before rising to her feet. "Listen, I need to go feed Spike, so I'll see you all later. Nice to meet you, Candace" 'Twilight' nodded to everyone, then turned and walked away, the edges of her lab coat fluttering in the breeze.

_TWEEEET!_ Just then the referee's whistle pierced the air and everyone glanced towards the field. "AWESOME! WE WON!" Rainbow Dash gave a whoop and leapt into the air as her teammates ran towards her, cheering.

"Well, on that note, We'd better get going. I have to show Cadence where her locker is. I'll see you all at rehearsal." Sunset announced, still trying to keep a straight face. "Come on Cadence" She started to walk away.

"Coming!" Twilight called. "It was nice meeting all of you" She said, smiling at everyone else before rushing to catch up with her friend. As they walked Twilight saw that Sunset was biting her lip, and as soon as they were out of sight of the soccer field, she burst out laughing. Seeing this made Twilight start laughing as well. For a few minutes, the two girls just stood there, laughing away. As Twilight did, she felt her nerves slip away. She had managed to fool her human friends, and as far as she could tell, her 'double' was not Imitae.

"Okay, what was_ that_ all about?" Sunset asked, leaning against the wall, her sides still heaving with laughter.

"I was just trying to get a reaction to of my double" Twilight admitted, still giggling.

"I think you got a reaction from _everyone_!" Sunset exclaimed, and both girls started laughing again.

"Everyone except my double" Twilight conferred. "Which means either she's a better actress than I thought, or she's not Imitae"

"Okay" Sunset straightened up. "You know this might actually make things easier."

"How so?"

"Well, in Equestria, we're both Unicorns, and our magic doesn't usually work here." Sunset reasoned. "You think the same rules apply to changeling magic?"

"Possibly" Twilight rubbed her pink chin, then paused to examine her pink hands. "Though this makeup I'm wearing seems pretty magical" She commented, causing Sunset to roll her eyes.

"So anyway, if Imitae is here, her changeling powers probably won't be working"

"Exactly, have there been any new students arriving recently?" Twilight asked. "Maybe someone with a lot of black and green. Someone who doesn't _quite_ fit in"

Sunset thought for a second and then her face lit up. She smiled at Twilight. "I know someone who fits on _both_ counts"

* * *

**Whew! Fast-paced writing! Just updated last week and I've got another one coming out!**

**Okay, so we're _pretty_ sure Twilight's 'double' is _not_ Imitae, but the question now becomes, where is she? Any ideas?**

**Let me know what you think, I always enjoy the feedback.**


	8. Chapter 8

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Sorry for the wait, but I think you'll see it was worth it! Here you go!****)**

**CH 8**

"Come on!" Sunset quickly lead Twilight down one of the halls inside Canterlot High, by darkened lockers. Most of the students had gone home for the day and many of the teachers had left as well.

"Are you sure she's going to be here?" Twilight asked as she tried to keep up with Sunset.

"I'm sure" Sunset replied her voice firm. "They usually rehearse late" She came to a halt at the door to the gymnasium, and peeked inside. Twilight could see a smile cross her face. "She's here" She whispered, moving over for Twilight to see.

Glancing into the room, Twilight saw that a group of Dramas were clustered around the stage, rehearsing for a play. Looking hard, Twilight recognized everyone..except two people. One girl, with blue hair, who had her back to them, and another girl standing near the stage, a girl with grey skin so dark it looked almost black. In contrast to this was her long green/blue hair, which fell messily down her back almost to her waist, except for one long strand that fell in front of her face, almost covering her eyes, which were a very vivid green. She was wearing a dress made of what looked like a sleeveless black corset and a blue-and-green skirt, a lacy black choker with a white stone around her neck, and knee-length black boots with green stripes running down the side. Twilight felt her eyes widen. That girl looked _a lot_ like a changeling!

"Who is she?" Twilight asked.

"New student, one of two. I've heard her name is Mirranda. I first saw her shortly before I noticed your double, hanging out with the Dramas" Sunset explained. "Well, what do you think?"

Twilight frowned, studying the girl through the glass. It certainly _looked_ like Imitae, if she was in human form. But then, she had thought the same thing about her double. Twilight frowned, she saw no other way to deal with this.

"What are you doing?" Sunset hissed as Twilight stood up straight and took a deep breath.

"Making friends" She winked back before pushing open the door. Entering, here face took up an awestruck look and she pretended not to see the Dramas at first.

"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?" She glanced up at one of the Drama's spoke and gasped as Flash Sentry appeared from behind a curtain.

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?" He announced boldly, reading from a script, his voice rich and clear. Twilight smiled as she watched him read, then she suddenly realized she was still walking!

"Woah!" Twilight walked right into a folding chair, and lost her balance, both her and the chair fell to the floor with a loud crash.

The Drama's looked up, and several members rushed to help. "Are you okay?" One of them asked, kneeling down and extending a hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Twilight remembered to look hurt as she was helped to her feet. She looked up and felt her eyes widen, she was looking into the face of... "Sonata?"

The blue haired girl gasped, her eyes widening "How did you know my name?"

"Umm" Twilight paused, thinking quickly, and decided to just go with the truth. "I...must have heard it around school. You used to be in a band, right?"

The former Dazzling member seemed to deflate at the mention of 'band'. "Yeah" She frowned. "Once upon a time. But I'm not about singing any more"

"I'm sorry to hear that" Twilight said, rubbing her head, and her her surprise, she actually _meant_ it. Sure the Dazzlings had been her enemies the last time they met, but Sonata looked genuinely upset.

"Hey, everyone okay here?" Twilight froze, sudden panic racing through her as Flash Sentry stepped into the circle. As the blue-haired boy stared at her, Twilight felt her cheeks begin to blush and hoped it wasn't too visible. Then she noticed Mirranda standing next to him. Unlike Flash sentry, Mirranda was frowning as she studied Twilight, looking her up and down, like she was searching for something. When her eyes reached Twilight's face, they paused, narrowed, then suddenly widened in unmistakable surprise. _Uh oh!_ Twilight thought to herself. _She must recognize me, what am I going to do now?_

"I don't think I've seen you here before" Twilight visibly jumped backwards as Flash Sentry's voice penetrated her veil of concern, earning a chuckle from the assembled Dramas. Flash Sentry's eyebrow raised, but he smiled at her and his green eyes sparkled with kindness. He didn't seem to recognize her. "Are you new here?"

"No-Yes" Twilight blurted out, cursing herself for sounding so obvious. Sure enough Flash Sentry's other eyebrow rose and she saw Mirranda's lip curl disdainfully. The dark girl was glaring at her with a suspicious, almost hungry, look in her eyes

"Well, which is it? No, or yes?" Flash Sentry teased. The other dramas laughed and he smiled rather smugly. Stung, Twilight turned away, not answering, not bothering to act embarrassed. She already was, her cheeks were so hot they burned, and she felt a single tear drop from one of her eyes.

"Hey, it's okay" She felt a cool hand clutch her own and looked into the eyes of Sonata. Twilight fought the urge to pull away as she gazed into the Siren's purple eyes. "It's tough being new, feeling different from everyone else, believe me, _I know_ how that feels"

Twilight felt a smile flicker across her face. "Thanks" She whispered in her high-pitched voice.

"So, can you tell us your name?" Sonata asked.

Twilight paused, her eyes flickering around the group. Flash Sentry still looked smug. Mirranda, standing next to him, looked angry. As she noticed Twilight looking at her, she sneered, flashing her teeth and her hands fingered a chain necklace around her neck. Twilight's eyes widened. On the end of the chain was a large white stone!

"What are _you_ looking at?" Mirranda snapped, her voice was heavily accented and rough. Her green eyes flashed angrily and Twilight found herself taking a step back and practically ducking behind Sonata almost on reflex. _Keep it together!_ She told _You're only pretending to be a shy new girl_. So why did she genuinely feel like she wanted to melt into the floor?

"Sorry" She squeaked in her Cadence voice. "That's very pretty" She nodded at Mirranda's necklace. The dark girl snarled, and she clutched the stone almost protectively.

"O-kaay" Sonata cut the silence that followed. "You want to tell us your name?"

"M-my name?" Twilight muttered still staring at Mirranda, she felt her mind start to cloud over. Like she was falling into Mirranda's deep green eyes. "My name-" She said drowsily. "My name is-"

"Cadence, there you are!" A new voice snapped Twilight out of her trance. Looking around, she saw Sunset Shimmer striding across the gymnasium floor towards them. "I've been looking all over for you!" She scolded gently, placing a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "Did you still want to come watch us rehearse?" For a moment, Twilight felt confused, what was Sunset Shimmer getting at? Then she saw the concerned glint in her firend's eyes and realized she was giving her an excuse to get out of there.

Twilight quickly jumped at the opportunity. "Um, sure...if you don't mind" She clasped her hands behind her back and shifted her feet.

Sunset smiled. "Are you kidding? We _always_ perform better with an audience. You guys mind if I steal her?" She asked the assembled dramas, who nodded or shrugged.

"She's all yours Sunset" Flash said, turning away and walking back towards the stage. Mirranda scowled at Twilight as she and the other dramas turned to follow him.

"Thank you for rescuing me" Twilight whispered as Sunset lead her out of the gym.

"You looked like you needed rescuing" Sunset teased, but her smile faded when she saw the frown on Twilight's face. "What's wrong?"

Twilight didn't answer right away. She was thinking about what had happened in there. Mirranda's surprise and scowling, as if she could see past her disguise, the stone held on the chain around her neck. It was about the same size as the star stone. She certainly _looked_ like a human Imitae, and she was always standing near Flash Sentry. Twilight felt the tiniest twinge of jealousy seep in as she remembered how Mirranda's green eyes were the same color as his. _Wait a second_ Twilight came to a halt and racked her brain. She gasped aloud. _Flash Sentry doesn't have green eyes! But changeling thralls do!_ Twilight scowled, clenching her fists.

"Twilight, what's the matter?" Sunset asked, noticing her friend's anger.

"I think we just found Imitae" Twilight answered, gazing at Sunset with a determined look in her eyes. "And she's already gotten to Flash Sentry"

* * *

**Well Well Well! What do you think of that? Could Twilight be right? **

**My thanks to R Doll for his interesting theories (personally I think he _might_ be onto something, but who knows? Oh wait, I do!)**

**Comment, Review! You know what to do! My stories may write themselves, but the more reviews i get, the faster the writing may go! **


	9. Chapter 9

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Hey everyone! The number nine is special where I come from, so I figured I'd put an extra effort into the ninth chapter. Enjoy!****)**

**CH 9**

"So you think Imitae is Mirranda?" Sunset asked as she lead Twilight down the hall towards the music room.

"I'm positive. It was just like before" Twilight replied, scowling further. Seeing Sunset's look of confusion, Twilight explained to her how Chrysalis and her changeling army had almost ruined the royal wedding between Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, her best friend and her older brother.

Sunset's eyes widened in horror as she listened. "Wow. I can see why you'd be so upset about a changeling being here" She placed a reassuring arm on Twilight's shoulder, earning a smile in return.

"Considering what happened at the wedding, I'd rather get this taken care of before somebody's heart gets broken" Twilight assured her friend.

"_Psst! Twilight!"_

"Spike?" Both girls froze at the whisper, glanced around, and spotted Spike peeking out at them from behind a wastebasket. "What are you doing down there?" Twilight asked

"Shhh" Spike shushed her, placing a paw over his mouth, which had the unfortunate affect of making look kinda cute. Twilight and Sunset exchanged a look, both trying hard not to laugh. "I was following that 'other Twilight', like you asked me to" He started.

"But didn't she leave already?" Sunset asked

Spike shook his head. "No, she's still here, and I think you'd better come see this" With that, Spike darted over to an adjourning hallway, slowly peeked around the corner, then motioned with a paw for the girls to join him

As Twilight crept over towards the hallway opening, she suddenly became aware of a faint beeping noise coming from around the corner. She glanced at Sunset, who responded with a raised eyebrow and cocked her head, she must have heard it too. Glancing around the corner, Twilight's eyes widened. A girl was slowly walking towards them down the hallway, it was the 'other Twilight', her head down, her mouth frowning in concentration , her eyes narrowed behind her thick glasses. She was clutching a small box-like device that looked like a remote control with a large metal triangle sticking out the top. As the girl got closer, the beeps began to become louder and more frequent

"_What is she doing?"_ Sunset whispered over Twilight's shoulder, watching the doppelganger pause and turn slowly in a circle, holding her device out in front of her.

"_I think she's...looking for something"_ Twilight whispered back then glanced down at Spike. "_But what?"_

_"I don't know"_ Spike replied, not taking his eyes off what the doppelganger was doing "_But she's been doing it for a while now"_

As the threesome watched, 'Twilight' continued her circle and ended up facing them. The device in her hands was pointing straight at them and the beeping was getting more rapid and louder. They ducked their heads back as 'Twilight' looked up.

"_I don't like the look of this"_ Sunset whispered.

_"Me neither. Quick Spike, hop in my bag"_ Twilight bent down and opened her backpack. Spike climbed in without a as Twilight zipped up the bag, she heard a voice come from behind her.

"Well Well, if it isn't _Twilight Sparkle!_" The venom that was put into the name made Twilight freeze. "Nice outfit, but did you really think you could fool _me?_"

_"Oh no, I'm caught!"_ Twilight cringed as she slowly got to her feet.

"Sorry, can I help you?" Twilight whirled around as her doppelganger spoke. There was no one behind her. Twilight glanced at Sunset, who looked just as confused as she felt.

"You think I'm an idiot?" The voice sneered, it sounded familiar, but Twilight wasn't quite sure where she had heard it before. "I know what you're looking for. Why else would you come _here_?"

"Y-you do?" 'Twilight' sounded both confused and nervous.

"But you're never going to find it, you got that? Never!" There was a muffled thud and an "ooff!", like someone had fallen down, followed by a smashing noise. Twilight and Sunset dashed around the corner to see that 'Twilight' had been shoved to the ground by a hooded figure who was rapidly retreating down the hall. Her device lay shattered on the hallway floor. As the doppelganger knelt forward to retrieve the device, Twilight saw a teardrop hit the floor.

Twilight took a deep breath, then put on an alarmed look. "Twilight, are you okay?" She called in her fake voice, making the doppelganger jump with an "awk!" As she spun around, they saw her hastily wipe her eyes clean.

"Oh, Hi Cadence, Hi Sunset" She nodded at them, giving them a small smile, then quickly bent down to retrieve her shattered device.

"What happened?" Sunset asked. 'Twilight' froze, like she was struggling to come up with an answer. "I just...fell, that's all"

Twilight and Sunset exchanged a glance. "We thought we heard someone down here" She pressed.

'Twilight' bit her lip as she picked up the pieces of her shattered device, she looked like she was thinking hard about something. "It was probably just me" She finally said, trying to quickly scooping the pieces into her bag.

"Twilight, what is that?" Twilight asked, making her doppelganger freeze up again, her eyes darted between her back and their faces.

"Oh nothing", she finally said, giving them a smile that fooled no one. Twilight felt a frown twist over her face and she crossed her arms. 'Twilight's' smile faltered upon seeing this, but she still didn't say anything.

"Oh darn!" Sunset suddenly exclaimed, glancing at her watch. "I'm late for rehearsal! Sorry Twi-Cadence, but we've got to go" Twilight's eyes suddenly lit up as an idea struck her.

"Twilight, why don't you come with us?" She asked as Sunset started walking away. 'Twilight' stared at her, and didn't answer. Twilight smiled, reached over, and clasped her doppelganger's hand. "Come on, everyone loves good music, and the Rainbooms are supposed to be the best, aren't they?" She narrowed her eyes slightly as she asked, knowing full well her double wouldn't answer.

"Well, okay, I guess it couldn't hurt" 'Twilight' finally consented.

Twilight smiled and lead her towards the music room. "Come on, you look like you could use a little cheering up"

* * *

Twilight pushed open the door to the music room to find the Rainbooms were just finishing setting up. Pinkie adjusted her high-hat, twirling her sticks in one hand. Applejack strummed a key on the base while Rainbow and Sunset checked to make sure their guitars were plugged into the amp correctly. Rarity adjusted the strap on her keytar to sit more comfortably on her shoulders while Fluttershy was examining a sheet of music.

Everyone looked up as they entered. "Hi Twilight, Hi Cadence!" Pinkie chirped from the back of the room, waving wildly.

"Hi everybody" Twilight replied. Her double didn't say anything, but she gave a sad smile. While Twilight led her to a chair and then sat down herself, Rainbow Dash turned to face the rest of the band.

"So, any ideas on what we should play first?"

"How about 'Shine Like Rainbows'?" Sunset suggested "I don't think Twilight's heard that one yet" As she finished speaking she glanced at them and smiled. Twilight smiled back and nodded eagerly.

"Okay then!" Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders and picked up her guitar. "On your count Pinkie!"

"ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!"

As the music began to fill the room, Twilight leaned back in her chair, nodding her head to the beat. She wondered when they had come up with this tune, it sounded great.

_"Once, upon a time, __you came into my world and made the stars align"_ Applejack began, and Twilight felt a twinge of embarrassment as the girl nodded in her direction

_"Now, I can see the signs, you pick me up when I get down so I can shine"_ Rarity continued, and winked in Twilight's direction, causing her to blush.

_"Shine like Rainbows!" _As the Rainbooms launched into the chorus, Twilight tilted her head back, her mind fogging over with happiness.

"_Shine like Rainbows!"_ At that moment, all the fear she had about Imitate seemed a distant problem

_"Shine like Rainbows!"_ All the nerves she had about being in disguise were whisked away

_"Shine like Rainbows!"_ Twilight sighed deeply as she felt the song reach down into the core of her heart. She was with her friends, people she trusted. At that moment, she felt like nothing could go wrong.

_"Friends, you are in my life, and you can count on me to be there by your side"_ Rainbow Launched into the second line, before glancing at Sunset, who nodded

"_And when the music comes alive, you sing us song to lift us up so we can shine"_ Twilight straightened up, smiling broadly as Sunset started singing. The flame haired girl smiled at them.

"Wow, she's a great singer, isn't she?" Twilight glanced at her double, then felt her smile fade away as she noticed something. 'Twilight' nodded at her, but her smile seemed forced, and as she turned away Twilight caught a glint of unease in her double's eyes

_"And the sound that we hear in our hearts, is a crescendo"_ The band swelled up, but Twilight was only half listening now.

_And the light that ignites in the dark, it makes us all glow!"_ 'Twilight' shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Her posture was tense, even though her face was calm

_"And shine like Rainbows! We shine like Rainbows!"_ Twilight wasn't even looking at the Rainbooms anymore, she was watching her double as she put her head in her hands and gave a big sigh of despair, a feeling Twilight herself could recognize. She wondered what could be affecting her double so much, then her mind flashed back to what she had overheard in the hallway and her eyes widened.

"_That voice!"_ She thought _"It was Imitae's!_" Closing her eyes, she replayed in her mind what she had overheard with her encounter with the changeling back in Ponyville. No doubt about it, they sounded exactly the same. _"So she IS still here!"_ Twilight felt a triumphant smile cross her face, then it froze as a sudden thought struck her. She glanced at her double, who was looking at the band, resting her chin on her crossed hands. _"Oh no"_ Twilight thought to herself. _"If that was Imitae I heard earlier, then she must have made the same mistake I did. She thinks this Twilight is really me looking for her!"_ Twilight felt her heart sink with sudden dread and guilt as her double gave another sigh of grief, her eyes darting back to the backpack housing her smashed device.

"How do I fix this?" Twilight muttered aloud, though not loud enough for anyone to hear. She glanced back towards the Rainbooms, but it was like she could no longer hear them. Her mind was preoccupied with fixing this mess she had gotten her double into. Because of her, the girl was a target for Imitae, and based on Twilight's experiences with Changelings, nothing good could come from that. "_I've got to do something"_ Twilight resolved. She cleared her throat, then reached out and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Twilight, are you okay?" She asked in her Cadence voice, giving her double a caring smile.

"Hmm?" 'Twilight' looked up at her. "Yeah, I'm fine" She replied almost mechanically before looking away. Twilight felt her smile fade a little, and she decided this was not the time for beating around the bush"

"No, you're not" She said, making her double look at her.

"What?"

"Twilight, I heard what happened in the hallway" Twilight confessed, making her voice serious, but still sounding like Cadence. "It sounded like somebody pushed you down, on purpose" Her double seemed to deflate and she muttered something darkly that Twilight could barely hear. "What was that?"

"It's nothing. I'd rather not talk about it" 'Twilight' snapped, looking away.

"Listen Twilight, I know what it feels like to be singled out. _Trust_ me" She rolled her eyes and giggled, thinking back to her first experiences at Canterlot High.

"Really?" 'Twilight' turned back to her.

Twilight nodded. "Maybe I can help you with whoever is picking on you" She offered, but the other girl snorted and shook her head

"It's not that easy, Cadence" She replied. "There's more to it than that"

"Like what?" Twilight cocked her head to one side, trying to keep her expression calm, but inside she felt excitement growing, maybe now she'd finally get some answers!

"I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you" 'Twilight' gave her a genuine smile this time.

Twilight leaned forwards, an encouraging smile on her face. "I've seen _a lot_ of strange things in my life, try me" She taunted.

For a minute, her double paused, considering, then she opened her mouth. "Okay, I guess I should tell _someone_, but you have to promise to..."

"HEY!" Both girls jumped at Rainbow Dash's outburst and turned to find the blue-skinned girl staring at them with an annoyed look on her face. "Are you two even listening?" Twilight started as she realized she hadn't heard the music stop.

"_Really_ darlings, you're being quite rude!" Rarity huffed, flipping her purple ponytail around.

"Maybe they didn't like the song" Fluttershy spoke up, looking nervous.

"No, no. We _loved_ it" Twilight assured her, and she had, the parts she had heard anyway. "And we're sorry we didn't hear the ending. Can you play us another one?" Twilight caught Sunset Shimmer's eye and gave her a pleading look. The girl raised an eyebrow, but gave a brisk nod and turned to Rarity.

"Hey Rarity, did you finish that fashion song you were working on yet?" She asked, causing the fashionita's frown to be replaced with a big grin.

"Well, I've gotten the lyrics down, and I've decided on a name, 'Life is a Runway'"." She purred.

"Well, let's hear it!" Rainbow demanded and everyone else agreed, causing Rarity to blush a little.

"Fine, fine" She consented and moved forward. "Give me something with some edge, will you Pinkie?" She called over her shoulder as she played a few warm up notes, cleared her throat, then began singing.

_"Life is a runway, listen_

_Listen here's what it's all about,_

_I tell you, life is a runway_

_Time to bring what's on the inside out, _

_Into the LIIIIIGHT!_

_Into the LIIIIGHT!_

_Life is a runway, when you see it my way_

_Take all the good inside, make it beautiful _

_Fashion is the way to start_

_Showing what's in your heart_

_You call it superficial_

_I call it irrefutable_

_Oh oh, oahh oh oh oh_

_Oh oh, oahh oh oh"_

As Rarity kept singing, Twilight smiled and thought how the Ponyville Rarity would love this song. She wished that there was a was she could record it for her friends back home. "_Actually, I wish there was a way that my Ponyville friends could meet my human friends without any danger"_ She pondered to herself, smiling as she watched her ivory-skinned friend give a playful twirl as she sang. She sighed, maybe once this whole Imitae business was over, she could bring her Ponyville friends for a visit. Imagining the shock on her friend's faces when they came face to face with their doubles made Twilight giggle with mirth, causing her double to shoot her a funny look, which Twilight ignored as she listened to her friends rock out.

* * *

**Whew! That took a lot of effort! As you can see, I was trying to write it so the conversation was taking place as the song was being played (kinda like background music), a process that is a lot harder than I first thought! **

**BTW: Shine like Rainbows and Life is a Runway are two of my favorite songs from the second movie, after the opening song. You might see that later on in the story.**

**Poor human Twilight! First it was the Equestrian version of herself, now she's got a changeling gunning for her! What will she do? And how will our Twilight deal with Imitae? **

**To find out, stay tuned! And keep reading and reviewing! **


	10. Chapter 10

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Yawn! I'm feeling so tired right now, but this chapter feels worth the effort! Enjoy!****)**

**CH 10**

"So, what did you think?" Sunset asked as the group walked through the halls towards the front doors. "About the music, I mean?"

"The music was wonderful" Twilight replied. Leaning in, she whispered "It feels good to know I left the Rainbooms in good hands" Sunset winked back and both girls chuckled.

"What's so funny back there?" Rainbow Dash called back from the group huddled around 'Twilight'. Twilight's laughter faded as she noticed the look of fear emerging on her doppelgangers face.

"Oh, nothing!" Twilight called back, smiling. But her smile faded when her friends looked away. Leaning closer to Sunset she whispered. "We need to tell her"

"Who, your double?" Sunset looked hesitant. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"It's because of me that she got roughed up earlier" Twilight explained to sunset the reasoning she had come up with earlier, how Imitate was mistaking Twilight's double for her, causing the girl's eyes to widen and her face to visibly pale.

"I see your point" Sunset agreed, suddenly looking a little nervous. "When do you want to do it?"

"Sooner, rather than later" Twilight answered, wincing as her double visibly jumped when Rainbow Dash clapped her on the back.

"Hey Twi, are you okay?" The blue-skinned girl asked, causing the group to come to a halt. Twilight could see that Rainbow Dash looked worried

"Yeah" 'Twilight' replied in a shaky voice that sounded anything _but_ okay. "I'm just feeling kinda tired" She gave a yawn to emphasize it. But Twilight frowned as she noticed her double's eyes darting frantically from person to person, like she expected everyone to suddenly run at her.

Pinkie's eyes suddenly lit up. "Hey!" She exclaimed, causing 'Twilight' to jump again. "I know just what you need!"

"You do?" 'Twilight' asked. Sunset and Twilight exchanged a look as they pulled even with the group.

"Of course! What you need is a nice relaxing WELCOME-BACK-TO-CANTERLOT-HIGH-SLUMBER-PARTY!" Pinkie burst out, clapping her hands and bouncing up and down gleefully."Everyone's invited!"

"Yeah! All Right!" Rainbow Dash cheered. Applejack tossed her hat in the air and Fluttershy nodded eagerly. Sunset and Twilight both smiled, but her doppelganger did not. She just looked puzzled. _Welcome back?_ She mouthed.

"Oh perfect, this will give you a chance to tell us everything that has been happening in your world" Rarity resolved, clasping 'Twilight's' hand with her own.

'Twilight' looked even more confused. "M-_my_ world?" She stammered

"Yeah, we're all dying to hear the latest word from Equestria" Applejack clasped 'Twilight's' other hand and they began walking towards the door, though 'Twilight looked somewhat reluctant to go with them. She glanced backwards towards Cadence, possibly looking for help, her eyes were full of alarm and confusion.

"And it'll give you a chance to tell my double what's going on" Twilight whispered to Sunset as they passed through the doors. "I'm not sure how much more of this she can take"

"But what about you?" Sunset argued. "It would sound more believable coming from the real Twilight"

"In this world, that _is_ the real Twilight." She gestured to her double who was looking more uneasy by the minute surrounded by the other girls. "Plus, I'm supposed to be 'Cadence', remember?" Twilight ran her ringers through the hair of her white wig. "And 'Cadence' knows nothing about any of this"

Sunset groaned, but finally she nodded. "But, what are you going to do?"

Twilight frowned as she glanced back at the school building. "Well, I spent my first night here in the school library, I can do that again. Plus, this will allow Spike and me to come up with a plan"

Sunset rubbed her forehead sheepishly but gave her an encouraging smile. "Okay, good luck"

"You too" Twilight smiled and turned to back into the school building.

"Where are you going, Cadence?" Twilight turned to see Pinkie Pie staring at her.

"Umm..I was just going to grab my bag before I went home" Twilight replied shakily. She did not like the intense way Pinkie was suddenly staring at her. "Have fun with your slumber party" Twilight could not stop a wave of depression and eagerness from filling her heart as she turned to go, but stopped when Pinkie Pie burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Twilight asked, raising en eyebrow.

"You silly!" Pinkie giggled. "When I said everyone was invited, that meant you too!"

"What?" Twilight exclaimed, her eyes wide, an action mirrored by almost everyone else.

"_Her?_" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "But she's not a...well..."

"I don't that's such a good idea, Pinkie." Applejack cautioned. "No offense, Miss Cadence" The country girl quickly added, throwing Twilight an apologetic look

"None taken" Twilight nodded

"Oooohhh! This is going to be so much fun! We can braid each other's hair, play video games, and swap stories. You won't _believe_ some of the stories Twilight can tell you." Pinkie ranted, literally shaking with excitement.

"Pinkie!" Applejack exclaimed, shooting the pink girl a warning look.

"What?" Pinkie asked innocently. "We can totally trust Cadence to keep the secret!" Just then, Rainbow Dash darted forward and covered Pinkie's mouth with her hand.

Twilight felt a smile flicker across her face and she decided to keep playing. "Secret? What secret?" She asked, cocking her head and looking confused.

"It's nothing darling" Rarity laughed nervously, joined by the others. "_Really"_ She shot an angry look at Pinkie. "It's just...some of the things we'll be talking about are things you...might...not...be able to understand"

"What do you mean, not understand?" Twilight asked, causing everyone to laugh nervously again. Inside, Twilight was fighting the immensely strong urge to laugh herself. She could feel the corners of her mouth start to curve into a tiny smile, and struggled to keep her confused look on her face. The fact that Sunset Shimmer was gazing at her with a big mirth-filled grin was _not_ helping.

"I don't know girls" Sunset finally said after a minute of silence. "I somehow think Cadence _can_ keep our secret. I think she's trustworthy"

"Yes!" 'Twilight piped up, suddenly looking relieved. "She should come! The more the merrier!"

"See, even Twilight agrees with me!" Pinkie's voice though muffled by Rainbow Dash's hand, was still clear enough to be heard.

Rainbow Dash removed her hand, looking a little reluctant. She exchanged a look with Applejack and Rarity, who glanced at 'Twilight', then both nodded. "Okay, you can come" She smiled at Twilight, who felt a huge surge of relief. She beamed happily as Sunset winked at her. Even 'Twilight' suddenly felt better.

"Ooh, my dad's here!" Pinkie exclaimed as a large truck pulled up in front of the school. A brown-skinned man with grey hair wearing a black vest and matching brimmed hat nodded at the girls.

As the girls started walking towards the truck, Sunset lagged back and waited while Twilight dashed back inside the school and picked up her backpack. Glancing inside, she saw that Spike had fallen asleep. _I'll tell him later_ She thought as she dashed back out to rejoin the others

"Well, looks like you'll get to tell your double yourself after all" Sunset whispered as they all piled into the back of the truck. Twilight smiled in response, but inside she suddenly felt nervous. Glancing at her double she saw the girl shift awkwardly from inside her ring of friends, then noticed her staring and gave a faint smile.

"Yeah, good thing" Twilight replied, smiling back at 'Twilight', but inside, she felt as nervous as her double looked.

* * *

**Well, glad that's done! I meant to get this finished days ago, but I've been completely blocked. Fortunately I had some free time where I had no other work to do.**

**So, how do you think Twilight's gonna break this news to her twin. I mean, this is probably not what you'd call a 'normal conversation topic' right? Do you think Twilight is going to tell the rest of the mane six, or will she keep them in the dark (she seems to enjoy playing with them this way, don't you think?)**

**As always, feel free to comment, compliment, or criticize. Also, if you think you know where this story is going to go next, post your theories. I really enjoy reading predictions!**

**Another update is already in the planning. Until next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Sorry for the delay, but I've been preoccupied this week. Nothing like a last second change of plans to rearrange your whole week!****)**

**CH 11**

At Pinkie Pie's house, the slumber party was in full swing. Sunset and Applejack were playing a video game where little butterfly-like creatures were flying through a field of flowers, trying to avoid razor-sharp petals. Rarity was in the process of experimenting with nail polish, coating her nails in a bright shade of orange. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset Shimmer were in the middle of composing a new song for the Rainbooms and were having a heated discussion about lyrics. Pinkie Pie giggled to herself as she snapped a photo of the group on her cell phone and uploaded the photo to her computer for later viewing.

The door creaked open, causing all activity and discussions to cease. Twilight walked in, followed by her double. Both were wearing pajamas that they had borrowed from Pinkie Pie. Twilight's were white covered with black stripes that reminded her strongly of Zecora, while 'Twilight' wore yellow pajamas covered in pink hearts.

"Thanks for letting us borrow some sleep-wear Pinkie" Twilight thanked her friend in her 'Cadence' voice, adjusting her white wig to make sure it was still in place.

"Yeah, thanks a lot" 'Twilight' added, looking over the hearts on her pants. "Not quite the same as what I have at home, but these look great as well" She smiled as she looked up, only for that smile to fade when she noticed everyone was staring at her. "What?" She asked.

"Wow, I didn't know you wore pajamas back home!" Pinkie exclaimed, causing everyone to look at her. "I always thought that since you're a...OW!" Pinkie yelped in pain as Applejack elbowed her hard in the ribs. "What was that for?" She demanded, rubbing her side. Applejack nodded towards Twilight, who pretended not to see, meeting Sunset Shimmer's eye instead. The girl's face read the same thing Twilight was thinking. _This was getting ridiculous!_

Twilight was sorely tempted to just tell them, mostly for her double's sake. Ever since they had arrived, each of the girls had come up with some excuse to get Twilight to leave the room for a while, to get some juice, or to meet the pizza delivery guy, or to check to see what nail polish was in the bathroom (Rarity's idea. Twilight could only find the orange polish the fashionista was now using. She did not think orange was Rarity's color at all, and judging from the way Rarity's lip curled, she was thinking the same thing). Whenever Twilight returned from these 'errands', everyone would suddenly stop talking and smile innocently at her. Each time, she noticed her double looking more and more unnerved and in some cases frightened.

_I've got to end this soon!_ Twilight thought to herself, but she still didn't feel safe about dropping the illusion in front of everyone just yet. Suddenly an idea struck her.

"Seriously! Why did you have to hit me that hard?" Pinkie demanded, glaring at Applejack.

"I'm sorry Pinkie, It's just I...um..." Applejack stuttered, her gaze flicking back at Twilight, who made a curious face and cocked her head.

"Yeah, Applejack, why did you hit her? That wasn't very nice"Twilight scolded, playing along, waiting for the right moment to get 'Twilight' alone. Pinkie nodded stiffly, before crossing her arms and frowning. "What were you saying, Pinkie?" Twilight urged the pink-haired girl to continue.

"Um, Cadence darling" Rarity piped up before Pinkie Pie could open her mouth. "I don't know about you, but I'm _dying_ of thirst. Could you be a dear and bring me a glass of ice water from downstairs?"

"Uh, yeah...could ya bring me one too?" Applejack quickly asked, ignoring the mean look Pinkie was throwing her way.

"Me too, um...please" Fluttershy spoke up from the bed, giving Twilight a smile.

"Ditto!" Rainbow Dash piped up from by the television.

Twilight glanced at Sunset Shimmer, who shrugged. "Um..I guess I'll have one too"

"Okay. Five glasses of ice water, coming up" Twilight spoke in her 'Cadence' voice. She gave a playful bow, then left the room. But as she walked downstairs, her smile faded and she let out snort of annoyance. She felt angry at herself. _Why don't I just tell them?_ She chided herself. _They're my friends! I can trust them!_

"_Pst, Twilight!"_ As Twilight stood at the kitchen sink, a voice made her look around and she saw Spike emerge from a shadowy corner. Spike had been forced to remain downstairs, since the human Twilight had not brought her Spike with her. Judging from the frown on his dog face, he was still feeling unhappy about it. "How's the party coming?"

"It's...fine Spike" Twilight's hesitation was only too obvious

"You haven't told them yet, have you?" Spike pressed, narrowing his eyes at her.

Feeling sheepish, Twilight shook her head, causing Spike to groan in annoyance.

"I'm sorry Spike, I want to tell them, I really do, but something keeps stopping me every time I try" She confessed, leaning against the counter-top.

"Really, like what?" Spike stretched his head with his back leg, a motion that made Twilight chuckle quietly, which Spike must have heard, due to the reproving look he threw her.

Twilight sighed "I don't know Spike" She admitted. "Maybe I'm worried that one of them might be Imitae in disguise" She glanced at him hopefully, but he shook his head, his green ears flapping as he did so

"I think we'd know if that was the case" He commented. "Besides, you saw what happened during the band practice"

"I...wasn't really watching." Twilight reminded him.

"Well, _I_ was, and unless Imitae can imitate the transformations you girls go through, there is no way any of them are her" Spike wagged his tail and looked pleased with himself.

Twilight nodded, then sighed. "I know, and I really want to help my human double...It's just, ever since I became 'Cadence' I've felt...different." She ran her hand through her white wig, almost longingly. "I feel so happy, so pleasant, so..." She paused, looking for the right word

"So free?" Spike guessed. Twilight, froze, then looked down at him, seeing understanding glint in his dog eyes. "Being a princess isn't all glitter and glamour, is it?"

Twilight nodded and felt her eyes start to water up. "Everyone in Ponyville, and here at Catnerlot High, expects so much of me. Sometimes I worry about failure, that I'll let everyone down. I almost did the last time I was here, remember?"

Spike nodded as he leapt up onto the counter top. "Twice you've come here under less than ideal circumstances, and twice you've had to face great evil from Equestria here. These other girls look to you for guidance, just like our friends back in Equestria do. I understand that you want to have fun, but we have a serious problem here, and without you, the other Twilight won't stand a chance against Imitate. She needs you. They all need you"

For a few seconds, Twilight stared at Spike, unable to speak. Then she smiled, reached out and ruffled the fur on Spike's head. Spike smiled happily and his tail wagged. "Thanks Spike, sometimes you know just what to say. I'm really glad I can talk to you"

"Thanks" Spike beamed, then he paused, and looked curious. "So if there's a version of you that lives here, do you think there's a version of me too? I wonder what I'm like in this world" He pondered while Twilight burst out laughing.

"Oh, I'm sure the other Spike is just as friendly as..."

"Cadence?" Twilight and Spike whipped around just as 'Twilight' appeared in the kitchen door frame, looking extremely nervous. "Who were you talking to?"

"Um..." Twilight;s mind whirred, but before she could say anything, her double's eyes fell on Spike and they widened.

"SPIKE!?" 'Twilight exclaimed, making them both jump. "What are _you_ doing here?" She rushed to Spike's side, scooped him up in her arms and gave him what looked like a crushing hug. From within the folds of her double's arms, Spike sent Twilight a desperate look for help. "Oh who cares? I'm just so glad there's someone I _can_ talk to!" 'Twilight' moaned and to her shock, Twilight saw tears running down her double's cheeks.

Twilight felt a jab of surprise at this exclamation. "I um...I heard Spike pawing at the door when I was getting water, so I let him inside...Are you okay?" Her voice broke off as 'Twilight' suddenly stopped squeezing Spike, whose face was now nearly as green as his ears, and looked at Twilight. Her gaze was so intense that Twilight felt like she was being scrutinized and she found herself checking her wig to make sure it was in place.

For a few minutes, no one moved or spoke. Even Spike had grown still, gazing at Twilight with his own expectant look, which screamed _Now's your chance! Tell her!_

Twilight gave the tiniest of nods to spike, than gathered her courage. _Here goes nothing_ she thought as she opened her mouth.

"I have to tell you something"

* * *

**I know, I know, why stop here? I guess I like to keep my audience hanging!**

**Sorry for the 'slow pace', but like I said, my stories write themselves and if they want to be slow, they will be slow. Don't worry, I've got plenty of action planned in the upcoming chapters. **

**Stay tuned for more! Until next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(And now, the moment some of you have been waiting for! TOOT-TOOT TOOOOOOT!****)**

**CH 12**

"I have to tell you something!" Twilight froze, her mouth open, as her double spoke the same words she had been planning to speak. "But you have to promise not to tell the other girls" Twilight glanced, rather fearfully, at the kitchen door behind her, before looking hopefully back at Twilight.

Twilight, still surprised, took a few seconds to recover. "T-tell me...what?" She finally managed to stammer. Spike rolled his eyes and gave a tiny growl of annoyance. 'Twilight' compensated by stroking his head

"Remember what you said in the band room? About feeling singled out?" 'Twilight' began. Twilight nodded, feeling her pulse start to quicken. "Well, you're right. I am being singled out, that's what I was so upset about earlier"

"Really?" Twilight pretended to look concerned, but she could feel anticipation begin to build up inside her. "By who?"

"By...well...everyone" 'Twilight' answered, and this time Twilight felt a look of genuine confusion cross her face at her double's words

"What do you mean? Is _everyone_ teasing you? Are your _friends_ picking on you?" Twilight gasped, pretending to look horrified, glancing up at the ceiling.

"No-no! Nothing like that!" 'Twilight' grabbed one of Twilight's hands, adjusting her hold on Spike with the other. "It's just...they aren't really my friends, because...I'm not who you all think I am"

"Twilight, I-" Twilight started to speak.

"Please, just hear me out. I have to tell someone" 'Twilight' held out a hand, took a deep breath, and when her eyes opened again, they looked very serious and scared. "The truth is, I don't know _any_ of those girls up there, any more than I know you. You see, I may look like just another student at Canterlot High, but I don't even go to that school. I'm a science prodigy, so I already graduated from high school some years ago. In fact, the only reason I came to Canterlot High at all was for research."

"Research?" Twilight cocked her head, looking as confused as she felt.

"You see, I'm currently working at a research facility that's studying energy transfer and storage in the city. A month ago, my equipment detected a major energy spike in this area." Twilight winced, realizing that she was talking about Sunset Shimmer's attempted takeover, but 'Twilight' didn't seem to notice. "And then, we began seeing more spikes, smaller than the first, but happening more frequently. While my colleagues wrote it off as a problem with the machines, I kept investigating, and traced the energy spikes to Canterlot High. Then, a few days ago, my equipment recorded another massive energy spike at a concert hall that the school was using." Twilight winced again, thinking about when the Rainbooms battled with the Dazzlings, but again, 'Twilight' did not seem to notice. "So I decided to come and investigate Canterlot High, but the minute I got there, strange things started happening."

"Like what?" Twilight asked, now genuinely interested.

"Well, like everyone knowing my name, for starters. At my old high school, hardly anyone knew who I was, because I stayed by myself and studied all the time, but here, kids kept stopping me in the hallway and greeted me by name, and I couldn't answer them because, well obviously, I'd never seen any of them before. Even the teachers knew who I was, and when I bumped into Principle Celestia in the hallway, she actually _bowed_ to me, I mean, she literally bowed to me! And then she called me a 'princess'!"

Twilight felt her cheeks flush and hopes it was not visible under her makeup. "Wow, that's intense" She commented. She had no idea the human version of Princess Celestia respected her that much.

"And that's not all, remember when you and Sunset found me in the hallway?" Twilight nodded. "Well, I was doing some simple data collection, minding my own business, when this girl I'd never seen before comes up to me, accuses me about trying to fool her, or something like that, and then shoves me. Like _that_ is supposed to make any sense at all!" Twilight' threw up her hands in disgust as Spike leapt from her arms to the floor. "And those other girls are not making things any better" 'Twilight' continued. "All those times they asked you to leave the room, the second you were gone they started bombarding me with questions about some place called Equestria, and the castle I'm supposed to have there, and about my supposed friends in that world that are apparently talking ponies, and I have _no_ idea what they're talking about!" 'Twilight' moaned as she sank down into a kitchen chair. Twilight and Spike exchanged a look, concern evident of both their faces. Spike frowned and nodded. Twilight nodded as well, then glanced back up in time to see her double visibly shudder.

"But the worst, the worst thing of it all." She paused, her voice now betraying fear. "Was when Rarity gave me _this"_ She gently pulled a picture from her pocket and spread it out on the table for her to see. It was a picture of Twilight and her friends, taken at the Fall Formal dance. Twilight felt a smile cross her face as her mind wandered back the happy memories she had of that time. Sighing happily, she and Spike exchanged another happy glance, but their smiles faded when they heard a quiet sniffling noise. Looking back, Twilight was shocked to see that her double was crying.

"Twilight, what's wrong?" Twilight asked, but she was certain she already knew the answer. Her double stopped crying long enough to look up and peer at her through tear-dampened eyes.

"What's wrong? _What's wrong!?_ THAT's what's wrong!" 'Twilight' shrilled, tapping the picture with a fingernail. "I thought that this was some sort of joke, but they claimed this event really happened, they all swore that this picture was real, but it just CAN'T be! I mean, look at it! That's a picture of me, and Spike, at some sort of fancy dress dance, surrounded by those girls from upstairs, even though I know for a FACT that Spike and I were_ nowhere_ near Canterlot High on that night! And look at this! Look at everyone's ears! They're in the wrong places! They look like _horse_ ears. What kind of human has those? That's just ridiculous!" 'Twilight' ranted, not noticing Twilight reach up to feel her human ears, or the frown that crossed her face. "And look here, you can just see them, but in this picture, I've clearly got wings, WINGS! When the hay did I grow wings? _How_ did I grow wings? Humans don't grow wings, do they? You understand, right? This picture is impossible!" 'Twilight' began breathing heavily as she continued, her eyes suddenly changed from wild to terrified "And yet...they spoke with...such sincerity that I...just knew they were telling...the truth! I..just had to...believe them! But how...How can this...?" For a second, 'Twilight' was breathing so heavily she couldn't seem to speak, her body was shaking violently, but she suddenly collapsed in a chair and started crying again. "I don't understand...any of this!" She moaned between sobs. "All my life I've been able to find a logical explanation for everything! I could just look up the answer in one of my books, explain to everyone how things work, but I...I can't explain _this_ or anything else that's happened today! It doesn't make sense, but I want it to make sense! I NEED it to make sense!" 'Twilight' dissolved into a crying heap on her chair, her head down on the counted as she sobbed, tears forming a small puddle under her arms.

Twilight and Spike glanced at each other again, then Twilight reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her double's shaking shoulder. "There, there." She crooned, thinking back to how Fluttershy might calm a sad animal. "It's okay".

'Twilight' shuddered at her touch and glanced up, the light makeup on her face running with her tears, making her look tired and sadder "And now, you think I sound crazy, right? Like a certifiable lunatic! I never should have come to Canterlot High! Why is this happening to me? What have I done to deserve this?!" With this exclamation, her double burst into tears again and bent over the counter, sobbing into her hands, her purple hair looking a little frizzled. Spike reared up and pawed 'Twilight's knee, but the girl did not acknowledge his presence and seemed to sob even harder.

Twilight gently pulled her double away from the kitchen counter and sat her down in a chair next to the refrigerator. She walked over to the door, eased it open, and glanced around the hall. Seeing it empty, she closed the door, but saw that there was no way to stop it from opening. "_I hope everyone stays upstairs for a while"_ She thought to herself as she walked over to her double, who was looking more ragged every second, she leaned against the counter, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Twilight, there are a few things _I_ need to tell _you_ as well. The first thing is...I believe you" Twilight saw her double's body stiffen suddenly, and though she did not look up, Twilight knew the girl was listening. "I believe everything you say. And second...I want to apologize" Twilight's voice betrayed the intense guilt she had felt upon watching her human double break down.

'Twilight' did look up at these words, her face shining with silent tears. "Wh-what do y-you mean, apologize?" She squeaked, her voice sounding pinched.

Twilight took another deep breath before continuing. "I want to apologize for putting you into this position. Everything that's happened to you is.." She paused and hung her head. "Is my fault. If I had been up front with you before, you would not be living this nightmare right now"

"Wh-what do you mean?" 'Twilight' asked, her voice becoming firmer and a frown appeared on her face. "Up front about what?"

_Here goes nothing!_ Twilight thought to herself, then stood and looked her double squarely in the eye. "Twilight, I'm not who you think I am either. The truth is I'm...I'm _you!"_ She blurted out the last few words in her own voice, which sounded so much like her double's voice that the other girl's eyes widened.

For a few seconds, both girls stared at each other, than 'Twilight' started laughing. But this wasn't ordinary laughter, this was forced laughter, sad laughter. Twilight saw no humor, only fear and betrayal, in her double's eyes as she commented. "Yeah right! Very funny!"

Sighing, Twilight scanned the kitchen, her mind whirring, her eyes searching for something she could use to help her. Her gaze fell upon the sink, then down at her hands. She frowned, knowing what she had to do. "Spike, make sure she doesn't leave" She ordered, before strolling to the sink. She heard a growl and a gasp behind her.

"Spike, what has gotten into you?" 'Twilight' demanded, leaping up on her chair. Spike only growled in reply. Meanwhile Twilight switched on the water and picked up a scrubbing pad and squirted dish soap onto it. Running the pad along her hands, she was delighted to see the pink makeup running off, revealing her deep purple skin, the same color as her double's. Cupping her hands, she splashed water on her face, then scrubbed her cheeks, forehead, and nose, with the scrubbing pad. She wasn't sure if she got all the makeup off, but it would have to be enough. She could feel the white wig getting wet as well, but she didn't care. "Spike stop it!" 'Twilight' demanded, sounding both angry and scared now. "Look Cadence, I don't know what you did to my dog, but you'd better tell...him...to..." 'Twilight's voice faded as Twilight turned back around, her face clear of makeup, though her ears still carried traces of pink. She reached up with a now purple hand and whipped off the sodden white-and-pink wig, shaking her head to fan out her dark purple hair, the same color as her double's. 'Twilight's jaw dropped, her hands flew up to cover her mouth and her eyes opened wide as dinner plates.

"Do you believe me_ now_?" Twilight said, somewhat bitterly, taking in her double's stunned reaction.

"But...you're...who...what...?" 'Twilight' backed up onto the counter, still gaping.

"Like I said before, _I _am_ you"_ Twilight said slowly.

"But...if you're...me, than... who-who am...I?" Spike burst out laughing and Twilight felt her mouth curl up into a smile at her double pointed at herself, looking like she's suddenly been struck dumb.

"You are also you" Twilight answered, then realized how stupid that sounded and switched tactics. "Listen, I need to..." Twilight started to explain, than froze as she heard footsteps in the hallway outside. Glancing at the door, she saw the knob start to turn. _Run! Hide!_ She screamed to herself, but all she could do was shoot a terrified glance at Spike, who looked equally petrified as the door began to swing open.

* * *

**Oh No! I hope no one comes barging in and sees two Twilights standing face to face in the kitchen! (I say sarcastically while rubbing my hands together wickedly)**

**Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever tried to tell someone something important, only to be interrupted at a very critical moment? I think it's happened to all of us at some point. Those moments always look funny on TV, but are annoying in real life. BELIEVE ME!**

**Did you enjoy 'Twilight's meltdown? I thought it would be a good way to vent the confusion she's been feeling. Imagine you've been getting commented for something you didn't do. Imagine that everyone thought you were someone else. You can probably understand why she's feeling a little shaky**

**I meant to get this out sooner, but I wanted to make it 'worth-your-reading-while'. So please, tell me, _Was_ this worth-your-reading while?**

**So now that the big 'reveal' has occurred, anyone have an idea what's coming next? Well, besides me, of course!)**

**Until next time! Keep reading and keep reviewing!**


	13. Chapter 13

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(****Took much longer than I thought, but I think you'll enjoy this!****)**

**CH 13**

Twilight's mind raced as the door slowly swung on its hinges, but her body felt like it was made of stone, heavy and unresponsive. She felt sweat appear on her brow as the kitchen door creaked open, she shut her eyes...

"Hey Pinkie!" Applejack's voice cut though the air, Twilight opened her eyes as the door stopped opening. "Could ya come back up here for a second? We need ya ta settle an argument!"

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie chirped from the other side of the kitchen door, then the door slowly closed and they heard the sound of footsteps receding down the hallway.

Twilight gave a sigh of relief. "_That_ was close" She placed a hand on her chest and could feel her heart fluttering like a Pegasus' wings.

"No kidding. One more second and our cover would have been blown"Spike agreed he crawled out from under the table, then he glanced up and frowned. "Um, is she okay?"

Twilight glanced at her double and saw that the girl had not moved from the counter. She was still staring at Twilight with a stunned expression on her face.

"Twilight, are you in there?" Twilight waved her hand in front of her twin's face. 'Twilight' blinked rapidly and shook her head, as if awakening from a trance, but she still didn't say anything.

"Hey, are you alright?" Spike asked, placing two paws on 'Twilight's knee as he spoke.

'Twilight' glanced down at Spike, and her eyes widened. "AAAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed, causing Twilight and Spike to jump and she threw herself backwards, colliding with the refrigerator, sinking to the kitchen floor.

"Wow, you two even scream alike" Spike commented as covered his ears. Twilight shot him a dark look.

"This...is beyond explanation" 'Twilight' mumbled aloud, making them both look up. "I'm in the house of a complete stranger, talking to...to me! How can there be two of me? This can't be possible! _You_ can't be possible!" Her voice raised as she pointed a shaking finger in Twilight's direction.

"Twilight" Twilight tried to explain but her double ignored her

"And now, my dog has started talking to me" 'Twilight glanced at Spike. "Have you always been able to talk? How come you never said anything before?" 'Twilight suddenly reached for Spike, who backed up so quickly he bumped into Twilight's leg and darted behind it. 'Twilight' slowly rose to her feet, her gaze traveling from Spike's fearful eyes to Twilight's uneasy ones, and she suddenly frowned. "Unless..._you_! You did something to him, didn't you? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO...mmmmphhhh!" 'Twilight' was cut off mid-yell as Twilight lunged forward and pushed her double against the refrigerator, her hand covering 'Twilight's mouth.

"Twilight, listen to me!" Twilight demanded. "I know this is a lot to take in, and I promise I'll explain everything, but you need to calm down and keep quiet! Okay?"

"Mm-hmm" 'Twilight' nodded, but there was still fear evident in her eyes.

"Are you going to scream again?" Twilight asked, glancing towards the Kitchen door, fearful that someone would come bursting through it any second.

"Mm-mm" 'Twilight' shook her head, mumbling though her gag. Twilight slowly lifted her hand, bracing for an outburst, but none came.

"Hmm, where have I seen this before?" Spike chuckled to himself, but stopped when Twilight shot him another dark look, her mind flashing back to her first arrival at Canterlot High.

"So...who _are_ you?" 'Twilight asked, "I mean, you said you were me, but if I'm me too...then..." 'Twilight' trailed off, sounding as confused as she looked.

Twilight sighed and let go of her double. "I can understand your confusion." She smiled at 'Twilight', then took a deep breath. "You see, My name is also Twilight Sparkle, but I'm...from an alternate world"

'Twilight's eyes widened again. "What?" She gasped.

"And _you_ are the Twilight Sparkle of _this_ world" Twilight continued, ignoring her double's outburst. "Our two worlds exist parallel to each other, and as a result, there are many similarities between your world and mine. Of course..." Twilight paused, glancing at her human hands. "There are some key differences as well"

"What...kind of differences?" 'Twilight' asked, still sounding uncertain.

"Well, in my world, I'm not a human. I'm actually a pony." Twilight explained, and one of 'Twilight's eyebrows rose in what seemed like disbelief.

"You're a pony _princess_" Spike corrected, before turning to 'Twilight'. "I'm from there too, and back in Equestria, I'm not a dog. I'm a fearsome fire-breathing dragon!" He boasted, smiling widely to show his sharp white teeth.

'Twilight' raised her _other_ eyebrow, before a small smile began to creep across her face. "Really? Somehow I just can't picture _you_ being fearsome" She observed, before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

"Hey!" Spike snapped as Twilight snorted with laughter as well. "I can _so_ be fearsome! ARRRRR!" He growled at them, but that only made the girls laugh harder.

"I'm sorry Spike, but I have to agree with her." Twilight admitted after catching her breath. "Remember, you're still a _baby_ dragon"

"I don't see what _that's_ got to do with anything" Spike muttered darkly as he settled back down on his paws and glanced away.

Twilight stopped laughing, knelt down and placed a hand on Spike's cheek. "Spike, no one's doubting your bravery. I'm just saying that you have a long way to go yet, so don't build yourself too early into something that you want to be" Twilight smiled at her faithful assistant, and eventually Spike's frown faded.

"So...you really _are_ a pony princess and a dragon from another world?" A calm-sounding voice made them look up to see that the fear in 'Twilight's eyes had become replaced with intrigue.

"You're saying you believe me?" Twilight exclaimed, surprised by how calm her double suddenly seemed.

'Twilight' shrugged her her shoulders. "Well, you have to admit, that story doesn't _sound_ very believable." She crossed over to the kitchen sink and picked up the white Cadence wig that Twilight had left on the counter. "But the evidence you've shown me is hard to ignore." She turned back and walked to them, running her fingers through the damp white hairs. "And right now, your explanation is the only one I've got that makes a half-deal of sense, so I might as well go with it."

"Um...okay" Twilight smiled, a little surprised by her double's quick reasoning.

"The only other logical explanation is that this is all some sort of bizarro dream, but..." She lowered her voice and glanced down at Spike before continuing. "I'm really hoping it isn't." She smiled.

"I promise you, you are _not_ dreaming" Twilight confirmed. Spike nodded.

'Twilight seemed to brighten , then extended her hand. "In that case, it's nice to meet you Twilight Sparkle of...?" She paused, then smiled sheepishly.

"Equestria, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Twilight Sparkle of Canterlot" Twilight replied officially as the two girls shook hands. The second their hands touched however, there was a sudden snapping noise and the girls both felt a strong force shoot up their arms. There was a bright flash and both girls were suddenly shoved backwards, Twilight was thrown against the refrigerator while her double collided with the center kitchen island counter. As they watched, the light fizzled out and disappeared, leaving both girls staring wide-eyed at each other.

"Did you feel that?" 'Twilight asked, rubbing her arm. "What was that?"

"Equestrian magic" Twilight murmured in disbelief.

"Magic?" 'Twilight gasped. "Are you saying you can do _real_ magic in your world?" Twilight nodded, and her double's eyes seemed to suddenly lit up. "Then that must mean that..."

"Uh, hate to cut this short, but someone's coming!" Spike suddenly piped up from where he had taken shelter by the door. The girls could hear footsteps approaching.

"What do we do? If the other girls see two of us, they'll freak out more than I did!" 'Twilight' exclaimed as she glanced around wildly.

"Um...actually...: Twilight started to explain, but 'Twilight seized her hand and dragged her over to the sink.

"Here, put these on!" With one hand she plopped the white wig on Twilight's head, while at the same time grabbing a pair of rubber gloves with the other hand. Seeing what she was doing, Twilight slid her hands into the gloves while her double adjusted the wig so that it covered Twilight's purple hair.

"Just act natural and keep your head down! And Spike, _no talking!_" 'Twilight' hissed, shoving a dirty dish into Twilight's hands as the kitchen door opened and Sunset Shimmer appeared.

"Oh, so here you two are. You never came back with our drinks, 'Cadence'" Sunset said. Twilight relaxed and set her dish down.

"S-sorry about that, Sunset" 'Twilight' stammered as Twilight started peeling off her rubber gloves. "I"ll...uh, take care of it right now! What did you girls order again?" She asked as she positioned herself in front of Twilight.

Twilight peaked over her shoulder to see Sunset raise an eyebrow. "Five ice waters." She answered slowly.

"Uh, Cadence, could you pour us five glasses, please?" 'Twilight' asked, nudging Twilight in the ribs.

"Are...you okay, Twilight?" Sunset asked slowly, her tone clear that she suspected something.

"Who me? Yeah...I'm fine! Why do you ask?" 'Twilight' twittered, giving a fake laugh that no one bought.

"Well, when you left the bedroom earlier, you looked like you didn't know where you were, and now you're all smiles, which are _not_ convincing, by the way." Sunset placed her hands upon her hips and frowned at 'Twilight' with a look that made her smile in a supposed-to-be-disarming-but-instead-made-her-look-silly kind of way.

"I...don't...know...what...you're..." 'Twilight started to stammer, but stopped when Spike suddenly burst out laughing.

"I can't take it!" He chortled, his canine body shaking with mirth. "You're a worse actor than the Equestria Twilight!"

"Oh really, Spike?" Twilight turned around, ignoring her double's gasp of alarm, and pulled off her wig. "Care to place a wager on that?"

"_Twilight!"_ 'Twilight whined, her voice high pitched with fear. "Um...heh-heh. Uhhh, I know what this must look like Sunset, but I can explain..." She turned towards Sunset, but stopped when she noticed the amused smile on the red-haired girl's face.

"So, you _finally_ told her" She said, emphasizing the word by rolling her eyes.

"I had started to, until _somebody_ interrupted us." Twilight scolded teasingly, a smile on her face.

"Oops. My bad" Sunset's smile widened and she placed a hand over her mouth in mock shock.

"Wait, wh...?" 'Twilight's voice echoed the shock written all over her face.

"Here we go again" Spike chuckled, having finally stopped laughing.

"You-_you knew?!"_ 'Twilight suddenly shrilled, her voice jumping in pitch, and an octave. "You mean I just made a fool of myself trying to hide something that you already knew about?"

"Well, of course I know about where Twilight is from. I'm from there too" Sunset's response matter-of-factly.

Twilight snorted with laughter as her double's jaw dropped and her eyes seemed to bug out.

"Oops, you didn't get that far yet, did you?" Sunset was giggling herself now.

"No. Can you and Spike made sure we're not interrupted any more?" Twilight asked, as she pulled off the white wig.

"Sure thing." Sunset grabbed five glasses, filled them with water and ice cubes. "Come on Spike, I know the other girls will be happy to see you"

"Yes, Finally!" Spike crowed as the he followed Sunset out of the kitchen.

"One other thing!" Twilight called. "Don't tell the girls about Imitae yet. I want to do that myself"

Sunset paused in the doorway, glanced back at them and said "Go easy on her. She's had a rough time" With that, she left, closing the door behind her, leaving the two Twilights alone.

"I can't believe how ridiculous I sounded just now" 'Twilight' sighed, her shoulders slumped. Twilight placed a hand on her double's shoulder, there was another zap and Twilight felt the familiar surge of power that made her let go, but it was not as powerful as before. 'Twilight' glanced up, looking Twilight squarely in the eyes. "Okay Twilight, _please_ tell me what is going on"

Twilight sighed, than smiled. "Where would you like me to start?"

* * *

**Whew! This chapter took FOREVER to complete! I know they say that inspiration is fleeting, but for the last few days mine has completely gone AWOL, and as such, dozens and dozens of revisions have occurred within the last few days. **

**What did you think of 'Twilight's big reaction? Was it what you were expecting? What about her attempt to hide Twilight from Sunset Shimmer? Not her best attempt, eh?**

**And what about that magic reaction when the two Twilights shook hands? What's that all about?**

**More answers, and more questions are waiting for you in the next chapter. Stay Tuned!**

**Not sure when my next update will be, I'm entering a very busy month coming up, but I'll make time when I can! Have faith! As always, rate and review, be sure to post your comments! The more you post, the faster the next chapter may come! **


	14. Chapter 14

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Here's the next chapter. I'd say were getting close to the halfway mark. How Exciting!****)**

**CH 14**

"So, where did you say you were from again?" 'Twilight asked, settling herself on the counter as Twilight placed her wig on the counter next to her.

"Spike and I come from the land of Equestia." Twilight explained. "And as you know, Equestria is a land of talking ponies. There are three different races, the Earth Ponies, which are physically stronger than the others, the Pegasi, which can fly and can control the weather, and the Unicorns, who can channel magic through their horns."

"And which one are you?"

"Well..." Twilight paused before continuing "I used to be a unicorn, but when I became a princess, I developed the traits of all three pony races, so I am now what is called an Alicorn."

"I see" 'Twilight mused, then she suddenly frowned thoughtfully.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked, noticing the frown

"The other girls" 'Twilight's gaze flickered to the ceiling. "They kept talking about Equestria, asking me how things were there." She looked back at Twilight. "They know, don't they?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes. They know about me and Spike"

"And they must have thought I was you. That's why they kept asking me about Equestria!" 'Twilight' reasoned, sounding annoyed as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry" Twilight started to apologize, but then she notice her double was laughing to herself.

"It's okay, it was an honest mistake. Now that I know what's going on, it's...actually kinda funny" 'Twilight' giggled. "I wonder what else they would have told me" She smiled, staring into space for a few seconds, then turned back to Twilight. "But, if you're from another world, how is it those girls knew so much about you?" Her eyes suddenly widened. "They're not from Equestria too, are they?"

Twilight smiled and shook her head. "No, only Me, Spike, and Sunset Shimmer. The other girls know about Equestria because I've been to this world before."

"You _have?_" 'Twilight' gasped.

Twilight nodded, then smiled. "This is my third visit to Canterlot High. And not much has changed since the last time I was here"

"When was that?" 'Twilight' cocked her head to one side.

Twilight paused, biting her lip, then explained to her double about the battles she had had the last two times she had been here, against Sunset Shimmer and the Dazzlings"

'Twilight' nodded as Twilight finished, the girl's face full of understanding. "So those energy spikes my equipment detected..."

"...Was probably the magic my friends and I used to defeat Sunset and the Dazzlings." Twilight finished.

"Hmm guess that makes sense" 'Twilight reasoned, smiling in a satisfied sort of way, then she frowned again. "So, who's Imitae? Is that one of your pony friends?"

Twilight frowned. Secretly she'd been hoping to avoid this part of the conversation, but they had arrived at it anyway. "I wouldn't call her that" She replied sharply, the bitterness in her voice clear. 'Twilight frowned as she caught the tone. "Imitae isn't a pony, she's a changeling, a creature from Equestria with the ability to alter its appearance to mimic other ponies. Imitae broke into my castle back in Equestria and stole a powerful relic called the Star Stone."

"Hang on a second" 'Twilight' interrupted. "By powerful, I'm assuming you mean _magic-_powerful?"

Twilight nodded and continued. "Anyway, Imitae was discovered before she could escape, but before any of us could apprehend her, she discovered the portal that connects my world to yours and fled through it." Twilight explained. "Now she's hiding somewhere in _this_ world, and I have to find her and get the Star Stone back"

"I see" 'Twilight' rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Wow, that's quite a challenge. Finding a shape-shifting creature in this world will not be easy"

"Actually, it may be easier than you think" Twilight reasoned. "You see, when someone from Equestria passes through the portal, they lose all personal powers they have. For example, my unicorn magic doesn't work while I'm in this world. To defeat Sunset Shimmer and the Dazzlings, I had to draw power from other sources of magic, like my crown, and then the magic the crown infused my six friends with."

'Twilight' nodded slowly. "Makes sense, so you're saying that just as the portal neutralizes your unicorn magic, it will also have neutralized Imitae's shape-shifting powers?"

"Well I'm not entirely sure, but that's my hope" Twilight admitted, glancing down at her hands. "But the Star Stone has power too, and Imitae may have learned how to draw magic from it. We'll have to keep our eyes open at school tomorrow."

"But what makes you think that Imitae is _here_?" 'Twilight' pondered. "She could be halfway to Appaloosa by now"

"Oh I know she's here" Twilight assured her, "For a number of reasons. Number one; the portal entrance is at Canterlot High, and Imitae has never been here before, she won't know where else to go. Number two: Changelings feed off of love and attraction, and where would be the best place to find that in this world?"

'Twilight' smiled. "A high school." She answered.

"Right, number three: Imitae will want to study and integrate closely with people in order to feed off of them, so she'll probably stay in the same area to ensure a steady supply of food. Based on these factors, I'm positive that Imitae is hiding at Canterlot High"

'Twilight' nodded, looking impressed. "That's a pretty reasonable deduction" She commented.

"Well..." Twilight paused. "There was a fourth reason"

"And what was that?"

"The last time I encountered Imitae in Equestria, she had taken on _my_ appearance. And she disappeared the evening before I heard that you had arrived at Canterlot High, so..."Twilight paused as he felt a blush cont to her cheeks.

"So because of Imitae's sudden disappearance while posing as you, and my sudden appearance at Canterlot High, you assumed that I was her, still in disguise" 'Twilight' finished, frowning slightly.

"Yes." Twilight hung her head. 'Twilight' didn't say anything, she just shut her eyes and frowned. "Though actually it was Sunset Shimmer who suggested the idea. That's why I became 'Cadence'. No one in this world knows about changelings, and this way I could investigate without causing confusion and panic."

'Twilight' nodded, but she still didn't say anything. Twilight felt her stomach fill with guilt and dread. "Twilight, I'm sorry that..."

"It's alright, it was the most logical conclusion." her double interrupted. "And the timing was rather convenient" She sighed, looking almost dejected. "A shame, it's over. Remember I told you that I hardly knew anyone at the high school I graduated from? Well, that was because I never made an effort to make friends. I was so focused on my studying that all the people I did know simply drifted away from me" Twilight nodded understandingly, her mind flashing back to her foalhood in Canterlot. "And everyone seems to know me... I mean...you, here at Canterlot High. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I finally had some real friends, and it felt...good. I felt like I had regained a part of me I never knew I had lost"

"I know how you feel" Twilight placed a hand on her double's shoulder and there was another static tingle of magic, but it wasn't as strong as before.

"Oh well, it had to end eventually, we might as well go tell the others." 'Twilight' rose to her feet, then paused suddenly. "Unless..." She squeezed her eyes shut and puckered her mouth into a frown. She squeezed her chin with one hand and a shudder ran through her body.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked, but 'Twilight' shushed her briskly. A small smile appeared on the girl's face and it grew bigger, and bigger. When she opened her eyes again, she had a Pinkie Pie smile plastered all over her face. "What is it?"

"Unless we choose _not_ to let it end" 'Twilight said simply, still beaming. With that, she strode to the kitchen door and opened it. Glancing back at Twilight she said "Wait here, I'll be right back" With that, she strode through the door, letting it swing shut behind her.

Twilight stood in the middle of the kitchen, looking as confused as she felt. "Not to let it end?" She said to herself. "What is she talking about?"

* * *

**Do YOU have any idea what 'Twilight' is talking about? Let me know what you think! (And that you are still reading!)**

**This is one of the key turning points in the story. If you have an idea of where it's gonna go, please pitch your theories at me! **

**Stay tuned for the next chapter and, as always, read, write, and review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(It's been a while hasn't it! Are you ready for a new chapter!****)**

**CH 15**

A few minutes later, when 'Twilight' returned to the kitchen, she was wearing the clothes Twilight had worn when she was pretending to be Cadence, including the the wig, and was holding her pajamas in one hand, the other hand was clasping her backpack which she had slung over her shoulder.

"Uh..What are you doing?" Twilight wondered aloud as her double scanned the hallway before closing the kitchen door.

"Me? I'm leaving" 'Twilight' answered, as if that explained everything.

"What? Why?" Twilight exclaimed, but her double quickly shushed her.

"For a couple of reasons; first, I need some time to wrap my head around all this" She grinned sheepishly at Twilight, who nodded understandingly. "And second, it will give me time to prepare."

"Prepare for what?" Twilight cocked her head.

'Twilight' paused for a minute, then looked back at her, a solemn look on her face. "I want to continue the charade you started" She announced, pointing to the purple-and-white wig she was wearing.

Twilight was surprised to hear this. "You mean you want to be Cadence?" She asked.

'Twilight' smiled and shook her head. "No, I want to keep being _you_" Though she was smiling, Twilight noticed a twinge of nervousness in her double's voice. "Your plan, while simple in design, is probably the most logical solution available right now. If word got out that there were two of us, it would... complicate things. Maybe there would be some way for us to use this to our advantage later, but for now, it would be better if there was only one Twilight Sparkle." She explained. "Besides, if I pose as you, than you can continue to be Cadence and search for Imitae unhindered. You know the school, and its students, better than I do. Since everyone assumes that Twilight Sparkle is from out of town, and probably doesn't know her way around very well, I can play a better newcomer role than you." 'Twilight' paused, then clapped her hands over her mouth to cap the burst of laughter that was erupting from her throat. "Wow. _That_ was an ironic thing to say!" She murdered through her locked hands, causing Twilight to laugh herself now.

"But I already know who Imitae is...at least, I'm pretty sure I do." Twilight told her double about what had happened with the Dramas and her suspicions of Mirranda.

'Twilight' nodded thoughtfully. "It sounds likely, but do you have any proof?" Twilight opened her mouth to speak, then stopped as doubt crept into her mind. 'Twilight' was right, all she had was her thoughts, she would need more than that. "Also, if Mirranda _is_ Imitae, how exactly do you plan to catch her without causing a panic? I'm assuming that you'd rather the knowledge of changelings was not revealed to the other students." Twilight had to admit, she hadn't planned that far ahead yet.

"But, are you sure you want to use yourself as bait like that? Changelings are big trouble" Twilight voiced the main concern that was growing in her mind, before explaining the powers that changelings had, including the power to control others they feed on. "I almost lost my brother back in Equestria to a changeling horde, I don't want to lose anyone else".

"Please Twilight" Twilight glanced up as her double folded her hands over hers, and was surprised to see pleading in 'Twilight's eyes. "I really want to help and this is the best way I can think of. Plus..." 'Twilight' paused, and looked embarrassed before continuing. "It will give me time to get to know your friends. I never had a close friend when I was growing up, and I was kinda hoping you...could...maybe...share your human friends with me." Her voice faded out and she glanced down at the ground.

Twilight was speechless for a moment, her memory flooding back to when she had realized that she had practically abandoned her pony friend Moondancer back in Equestria when she had moved to Ponyville. She felt a strong sympathy towards her human double flare up inside her and she smiled. "I understand, and you're right. No one should go through life without friends. After all, I consider _you_ a friend!"

"Y-you do?" 'Twilight gasped, and her eyes began to water.

Twilight nodded. "Yes I do, and I'm sure that my friends will feel the same way way if you tell them."

"Thanks" 'Twilight smiled gratefully. "But I think it would be safer this way, at least until we know for sure that Mirranda is Imitae. Plus..." 'Twilight' paused, then grinned sheepishly. "This is technically supposed to be _your_ sleepover, so you should spend some time with _your_ friends." She glanced up at the ceiling. "I have some equipment at my lab that may be able to help us, just change into the pajamas that I was wearing, and tell your friends that Cadence had to leave suddenly. I'll meet you tomorrow before school and we can switch again. Okay?"

Twilight blinked, her mind whirling as she struggled to keep up. "So basically, you want me to pose as myself tonight"

"Exactly!" 'Twilight' beamed. "This way you get to spend time with your friends and I'll get some work done! Just please promise me you won't tell the other girls about us until tomorrow." She begged, her hands clasping together.

Twilight felt a smile cross her face again and she nodded. "I promise. Now I guess you'd better go then, before the girls wonder where we've gotten to" She glanced upstairs as a floorboard creaked.

"Right, thanks a lot" 'Twilight' smiled in gratitude, and the two girls hugged. As they did, they felt another wave of magic flow through them, but it wasn't loud or destructive, like before. Instead it was soft and soothing as it flowed like a pair of rivers between the two girls.

"And while I'm at it, I'll try to research this magic thing" 'Twilight' added after they broke apart. "Maybe it can help us against Imitae"

"Great" Twilight smiled as her double gathered her belongings, and then walked her to the front door. "Good luck. See you tomorrow" 'Twilight' smiled at her and quietly opened the door and slipped outside, closing it softly behind her.

After watching 'Twilight's creep across the darkened front yard and out of sight, Twilight changed pajamas and headed back upstairs. Everyone was pretty much in the same positions they were in when she had left them, the only different is that Spike was among them, cuddled in Fluttershy's arms, while gazing lovestruck at Rarity.

"Well, it's about time ya' came back and joined us!" Applejack declared as Twilight walked into the room.

"Yeah, what kept you?" Rainbow Dash added, putting down the video controller. Twilight shrugged and smiled.

"And where's Cadence?" Rarity piped up. Spike shifted in Fluttershy's arms as her looked up at Twilight, and on the bed, Sunset glanced up from the book she had been reading.

"Cadence...um...had to leave early." Twilight explained quickly. "She got a text while she was downstairs, some sort of...issue at her house, she said she would see us at school tomorrow."

"Oh dear, that's too bac." Rarity sighed as she finished adding a fresh orange coat to her nails. "Ugghh." She winced. "Orange is _definitely_ not my color" She complained.

"_I_ could have told you that" Pinkie Pie chirped from the floor where she was lying in front of her computer.

"I hope we do see her tomorrow" Fluttershy looked solemn "I'd feel bad if we had chased that poor girl away because of how we've been acting"

"Ya know. I've been feeling the same thing" Applejack spoke up, a frown crossing her face. "It's been tearing me apart, keeping who you are a secret from Cadence" She glanced at Twilight as she spoke.

"She certainly seems nice enough" Rarity agreed. "And she has good fashion sense, we cannot forget that!" Twilight felt a smile flicker across her face at those words.

"You kiddin'? She's practically one of us!" Rainbow Dash added. _That_ made Twilight chuckle, fortunately no one noticed.

"But there's something about her" Applejack continued. "I feel like she's not telling us something"

"And she seems so familiar. I _know_ I've met her somewhere before" Pinkie added. Twilight felt her palms sweat a little as her pink-hared friend made a face, like she was seriously trying to remember something. After a few agonizing minutes, she shrugged and smiled. "Or, maybe its just a big coinkidink!"

Twilight let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and glance at Sunset Shimmer, who hadn't spoken up yet, and was staring at Twilight with funny look on her face. As Twilight stared back, an idea came to her. Maybe she couldn't tell the girls about two Twilight's, but she _could_ tell them other things.

"Girls" She began after taking a deep breath. "There's something I need to tell you" The girls all glanced up at her as she sat down. "I'm sorry if I've been...distant...ever since I got back here. But I've been though a lot in the past few days."

"Really? Care to tell us about it, darling?" Rarity asked as she came to sit beside Twilight, Sunset Shimmer quickly sat on her other side and the other girls sat in a circle facing her.

Twilight turned to Sunset and asked. "Sunset, do you know what a changeling is?" Sunset blinked, looking confused by the question, Twilight winked, hoping she would get the hint.

"Yes..." She answered slowly, still looking confused. "I remember reading about them back when I was Celestia's student. Why do you ask?"

"Well, just before I came back to Canterlot High, I had an unpleasant encounter with a rogue changeling in Ponyville." Twilight recalled for them how Imitae had broken into her castle, stolen the Star Stone, and had mocked her by imitating her appearance in front of her friends. When she finished, her friends had looks of horror on their faces.

"No way!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her eyes wide

"How awful" Fluttershy gasped, curling into a tighter ball.

"The nerve!" Rarity snorted angrily. "Mocking you _and_ accessories like that! If I ever meet this changeling, I will give it a piece of my mind!"

_"You may get your chance"_ Twilight thought, smiling gratefully of her friend's words of encouragement.

"So, whatever happened to this changeling?" Applejack pondered. "Did you ever catch it?"

"We don't know" Twilight answered quickly, she had seen Spike opening his mouth. "Spike and I were searching all night, but she vanished into thin air, right Spike?" She leaned heavily on the last two words, hoping her assistant would get the hint.

He closed his mouth, and gave a large yawn. "I'm still tired, and I've been sleeping most of the day" He droned in a tired voice.

"Aw, you poor pup" Fluttershy cooed and held out a doggie treat, which Spike immediately snapped up.

"Anyway, I'm still a little stressed out over that, so that's why I've been a little...different today." Twilight finished. "I hope that didn't cause any problems."

The girls shook their heads, at that moment, Pinkie happened to glance at the pink clock on her pink desk and gasped. "9 PM already?" She shrilled. "I'm gonna finished getting ready for bed!" She was up and through the door before she had even finished speaking.

Murmuring in agreement, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash stood up and filed out of the room as well, leaving Sunset, Spike, and Twilight all staring at each other.

"Okay, which one are you?" Sunset demanded once the girls were out of earshot.

"I'm the Pony Twilight" Twilight explained

"Then where's the human one?" Spike asked.

"She went to get some things that can help us fight Imitae after we find her" Twilight explained. Sunset and Spike exchanged a look, both looking unsure.

"Then why didn't you tell the other girls that?" Sunset asked, cocking her head in confusion.

"I promised her I wouldn't. She has this plan to help us take down Imitae and I think we can trust her" Twilight assured them

"I hope you're right" Spike looked nervous as he settled down on a comfy bed that Fluttershy had brought for him. "If she gets hurt because of us..."

"Don't worry, that won't happen." Twilight vowed. "I'd just rather we deal with Imitae quietly. The less this world knows about changelings, the better."

Sunset nodded, and at this point the conversation ended because Pinkie Pie had come back into the room, humming to herself.

* * *

**So, here's a little plot explanation. Human Twilight wants to keep pretending to be Pony Twilight in order to act as bait to draw Imitae out, while Pony Twilight hides herself as Cadence in order to search for Imitae without being recognized. But right now, Pony Twilight is posing as herself while Human Twilight gears up and clears her head for a while. Confusing I know, but when you think about it it makes sense. We know that human Twilight lacked friendship growing up, similar to how Pony Twilight did in Canterlot. Plus, we also know that Twilight likes playing the role of Cadence, so it's a positive venue for both sides. I know it would be simpler just to tell the other Mane 6 what's going on. Rest assure, that will happen...eventually. **

**Did anyone catch the irony of Human Twilight saying that she would play the role of a visitor better than Pony Twilight, considering that Pony Twilight is a visitor to this world?... No, I guess not. Oh well! :(**

**I have to confess, the lack of reviews posted after my last updating put this on the back-burner for a while, plus I've been busy every day for the past three weeks! But when I saw the trailers for the Friendship Games, they got me inspired to keep writing again. Have you all seen them yet? **

**Read, Rate, and Respond! You know the drill! Like I said, the more reviews I get, the faster chapters seem to flow. Please let me know what you think (and tell your friends! I'd love to hear their opinions too!)!**


	16. Chapter 16

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Didn't I update this story earlier this week? I did? Well, looks like I'm updating it again!****)**

**CH 16**

The next morning, Twilight and the other girls were dropped off in front of the school early, upon Twilight's request.

"So, why exactly did you want to come to school early today?" Rainbow Dash asked before giving a big yawn and stretching her arms.

"Yeah, school don't start fer another hour yet." Applejack added, rubbing her eyes. "We could all use more sleep.

"Are you kidding? This is nothing." Twilight laughed from the head of the group. "Sometimes in Ponyville, I'd be up all night getting work done"

"No way!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"It's true" Spike insisted, smiling as he remembered back. "I remember having to bring her food cause she got so wrapped up in her research." He snorted, then boasted. "If it wasn't for me, she would have died of hunger!" He chortled as Twilight shot him a dark look.

"I can relate" Sunset laughed, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "When I was Celestia's student, she would often times joke of moving my bed into the castle library, because I spent so much time in there."

"You too?" Twilight glanced up, looking surprised. "I thought it was just me"

Sunset shook her head. "The castle librarian was one of the few ponies I still remember." Then she frowned as more memories hit her and she stopped walking. "It seems like so long ago" She sighed, looking down. "I don't think I was very nice to her."

"Well, you've come a long way since then" Twilight smiled at her, causing Sunset to smile back at her.

"Hey! Who's that?" Rainbow Dash's voice made them look up. The girl was pointing at a figure facing away from them, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and faded jeans. A backpack was hanging from one shoulder. As if it sensed them watching, the figure turned and looked at them. It's face was obscured in shadow from the hood, save a pair of square lights that winked as they caught the sunlight. The figure stared at them for a moment, nodded at them, then turned and walked away.

"Not very polite, whoever it is" Rarity huffed, flipping her hair. But Twilight smiled to herself as she recognized the figure.

"You can say that again" Sunset frowned. She glanced at Twilight, who avoided looking at her and wiped her smile clear.

"I've never seen someone like that around here before" Pinkie chirped, and Fluttershy nodded.

"Maybe it's a spy from another school. HEY! HOLD IT!" Rainbow Dash yelled, running after the figure, who broke into a run and disappeared around the building.

"Rainbow!" Applejack called out as everyone chased after her. They all ran around to the soccer field, but the hooded figure was nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd they go?" Rainbow Dash demanded, glancing around.

"Wow! They disappeared!" Pinkie exclaimed, hopping up and down excitedly. "What a great trick!"

"Maybe it was Trixie showing off another of her magic tricks?" Fluttershy suggested hopefully.

"I don't think so" Applejack frowned. "Something about her looked a might familiar."

_Uh Oh!_ Twilight thought, feeling a tiny knot of panic work its way up her spine. "Well...they can't have gotten far, how about we all split up and look for them? Then we'll all meet back at the music room." Everyone nodded and scattered, except for Twilight, who stayed where she was.

"_Psstt! Are they gone?"_ A voice hissed from behind a nearby bleacher.

"Yep. They're gone" Twilight declared. The bushes rustled and the hooded figure stepped out of the shadows

"Wow! That was close!" 'Twilight' gasped, bending over to catch her breath, wisps of her purple hair falling out from under the hood. "I didn't think you'd bring everyone with you when you arrived."

"I was afraid they'd get suspicious if I told them to wait" Twilight answered, helping her double up, feeling the surge of power rush through her arm when they touched. "And speaking of suspicious" Twilight tugged gently on the sleeve of the sweatshirt. "Whats this for?"

"Well, I needed to make sure no one recognized me!" 'Twilight' snapped, still breathing heavily. "There's only supposed to be one of us remember? Besides, it was either this or makeup, and I can't wear too much makeup."

"Why not?" Twilight asked as the two began heading towards the gym.

"Sensitive skin" Her double explained, rubbing her shadowy face. "I can wear basic amounts but apply too much and I get a bad reaction. Not quite sure why"

"Another reason why you wanted me to play Cadence?" Twilight asked, glancing at the bag. 'Twilight' followed her gaze and nodded. "I hope you're not expecting me to wear _those_ all day" She scoffed at her double's clothing.

'Twilight' shook her head. "There's other clothes in here. Come on. We don't have much time." She urged and the two girls dashed into the gymnasium and behind the stage to the changing rooms. 'Twilight' kept watch while Twilight quickly swapped clothes with the ones in the bag. She came out from behind a dressing screen wearing a white top and dark pink skirt with a blue heart stitched on the right side. She slid her feet into pale pink boots as 'Twilight' nipped behind the dressing screen. She emerged a few seconds later wearing the clothes Twilight had just been wearing. She undid her hair tie, letting it flow freely, and placed her glasses in a case and stuck it into her bag. Then, she pulled out two smaller cases and stepped up to a mirror. Opening them she picked something out of one of them and placed it carefully into her eye, blinking rapidly right afterwards.

"What are those?" Twilight asked, curious as 'Twilight' placed a second one into her other eye.

"Contact Lenses" 'Twilight replied, turning to face her, blinking rapidly. "These particular ones are prescription lens, they let me see clearly without needing my glasses, but there are others that can change your eye color or make them look scary."

"Wow" Twilight was impressed. "We don't have anything like these back in Equestria"

"I usually don't wear them because they're a bit uncomfortable" 'Twilight' explained gently rubbing one eye. Seeing the guilty look appear on Twilight's face, she added "But I'm happy to wear them today. So, how do I look?"

Twilight looked her twin up and down, then smiled back at her. "Perfect. Now, it's my turn." 'Twilight' passed her the wig and a bottle of makeup from her backpack. Twilight sat down and began applying makeup to her face, while her double rubbed it on her arms and legs, changing the the lavender color back to pink. Following this, she gathered up her hair and tied it into a tight bun, then applied the white-and-pink wig over it, straightening it and tucking any loose strands underneath. After a few minutes, she shook her head viciously, but the wig stayed in place. She nodded, satisfied, then closed her eyes and concentrated. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes to see that her eye color had changed. Cadence was back.

"H-how do I look, Twilight?" She asked, switching to her lighter and softer Cadence voice and giving a shy smile.

'Twilight' smiled back at her. "You look perfect, Cadence" She winked, making Twilight laugh.

Twilight turned back to the mirror and gazed at her new image. She smiled and Cadence smiled back at her, then she frowned. "Oh, we'd better go Twilight, I'd hate to keep everyone else waiting. That wouldn't be a very good thing for the new girl to do, right?"

"No, probably not" 'Twilight' chuckled as she rummaged through her bag. "But first, I need to give you a few things." She pulled out a small case about the size of a book and opened it. Inside were two tiny oblong pieces of plastic with a loop, two small golden bands with dark circles inter-spaced throughout them, and two hair-clips, each shaped like a double star.

"What is all that?" Twilight asked, kneeling beside her double. "Is it to help me find Imitae?"

'Twilight' gave her a nervous smile. "Sort of, but it's more likely to help me be you" She picked up one of the oblong pieces and now Twilight could see there was a small piece sticking out. "These are earpieces, they fit in your ear like this" 'Twilight' explained, reaching out. Twilight could feel her press something into her left ear and felt the loop wrap around the edge of her outer ear. When 'Twilight' withdrew her hand, Twilight could feel something left behind. Then 'Twilight' picked up the second earpiece and inserted it into her own ear. "They act similar to a cell phone, and the best part is, no one can see them" To prove it, she turned her head so Twilight could examine her ear. The girl was right, unless you knew exactly what you were looking for, there was no trace of the tiny device. Then 'Twilight' picked up one of the golden bands and wrapped it around her wrist. "These are microphones that are synced with the earpieces, with these in place, we will be able to communicate anywhere in the school, without anyone else overhearing us."

"Really? Wow, that's so cool!" Twilight's grin broadened as she strapped on the second bracelet.

'Twilight' seemed to blush as he rose to her feet. "I think a field test is in order. I'm going to go over there, when I'm out of sight, press that knob on the side of the bracelet, raise it to your face, and whisper something. "With that 'Twilight' turned and walked a few feet away, disappearing behind a curtain.

Twilight ran her hand along the bracelet and felt a small bump. She pressed her thumb against it and heard a tiny click in her ear. She raised the bracelet to her lips and, feeling a little foolish, spoke into it. "H-hello?" She spoke softly.

There was a pause , then Twilight heard another click in her ear and a voice. "_Twilight, I can hear you. Can you hear me?"_ 'Twilight's voice was crystal clear, as if she was right there, whispering into her ear.

_"_Wow! Yes, I can hear you!" Twilight exclaimed, her eyes widening in amazement. "This is amazing! It's like you're right next to me!"

The curtain rustled and 'Twilight' reappeared. "That's the idea" She explained, smiling broadly. "If there's a question about you that I can't answer, I'll signal you and you can tell me what to say." Twilight nodded, and 'Twilight' reached down and picked up the final thing, the pink hair clips. "Put this in your hair, It's a transmitter, in case we need to find each other in a hurry if there's an emergency." Twilight nodded and placed the clip above her right ear. "And you'll need this." 'Twilight' held out a box with a handle two prongs sticking out. "It's an energy scanner. I've set it to pick up the energy signatures that lead me here. The higher the energy, the higher the needle will jump. Got it?" Twilight nodded and took the scanner from her double, who picked up the second clip and placed it into her own hair. "Oh, one more thing. I'll be leaving my backpack with you. There are some other gadgets in there that may be useful when you've found Imitae, but don't use them now, okay? I'd explain them all now, but I don't want to keep your friends...I mean, _my_ friends, waiting any longer" 'Twilight' finished with a laugh.

"Got it" Twilight took the backpack from her double as they both rose to their feet.

"You feel ready to go out there, 'Cadence'?" 'Twilight teased, but her gaze was serious.

Twilight smiled before replying. "I should be asking _you_ that. I'm just going undercover, _you're_ impersonating someone!"

'Twilight' laughed, then took a deep breath, and nodded, her face determined. "I'm ready" She said, smiling.

"Then let's get going, 'Twilight Sparkle'" Twilight winked and both girls left the gymnasium.

* * *

**Can you believe this chapter was written in one evening? Seriously, I was "in the zone, as it were" (2 thumbs up if you know who says this!)**

**So, another switching of roles has occurred and both Twilights are now in disguise. Can Twilight find Imitae without blowing her cover? Can 'Twilight' successfully pose as her twin without blowing _her_ cover? And just what IS Imitae up to? **

**All this and more may be revealed next chapter. Stay tuned, and as always, keep those reviews coming! **

**I love the fact that people are favoring this story! I've become quite proud of it and you honor me by letting me know you are reading my work. **

**Until next time!:)**


	17. Chapter 17

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(This chapter is dedicated to Autumn Barclay for motivational way you asked for more!)**

**CH 17**

Twilight moved carefully down the hallway, keeping one eye on the crowd around her, and the other eye on the scanner held in her hands. Every time she passed a person, she would wave the scanner in their direction. Every so often, the needle would rise a little, but never out of the green zone that it had been hovering in for most of the morning. Twilight frowned as she swept the scanner past a girl with crossed eyes and yellow hair, a girl with white and silver hair, and another girl with large glasses and white hair, nothing. Finding a break in the crowd, she sighed and leaned back against the wall and pulled a clipboard from her backpack. "Let's see. Derpy Hooves, no reading, Silver Spoon, slight reading, Photo Finish, no reading, " She mumbled as she crossed names off a list she had written of all the female students at Canterlot High. Suddenly, there was a loud buzz from the scanner and the needle suddenly jumped into the red area. Feeling her heart race, Twilight glanced up eagerly, but frowned when she saw the scanner was pointing at Applejack, who was passing by with Fluttershy. They seemed to be arguing about something.

"It comes down to one simple fact! I don't want ma orchard full of fruit bats!" Applejack exclaimed, coming to stop a few feet from Twilight, who subtly pointed the scanner at Applejack again and the needle jumped into the red again. _Strange_ Twilight thought. She studied Applejack's face and eye, but couldn't distinguish anything unusual.

"Now just a minute, Applejack" Fluttershy's eyes narrowed, her voice soft but firm. "There's another side to this." On a hunch, Twilight swung the scanner at her as well. As soon as it left Applejack, the needle dropped down into the green again, but the instant it was pointed at Fluttershy, the needle climbed back into the red. "These bats are mamas and papas too, they need a place to care for their young!" Fluttershy continued, neither girl seemed to notice Twilight as she marked her recordings down on the clipboard.

"Oh, give me a break." Applejack snorted. "You're bein' too kind, Fluttershy. I nearly lost a crop to them flying kritters a while back, I sure as heck ain't gonna let that happen again! " As they moved off, still arguing, Twilight felt a grin cross her face as she recalled a similar argument between a different Applejack and Fluttershy. Then she shuddered, remembering what had happened after said argument had occurred.

_Good thing that can't happen here._ She thought, smiling, then she paused, her smile fading as she noticed Silver Spoon was walking slowly past with another girl that had pink skin and purple hair with a white streak. As the two girls passed, the needle on the scanner jumped, not as high as it had done around Applejack and Fluttershy, but pretty close to it. Twilight glanced carefully at the girl's faces and thought she saw a flash of green.

_Imitae?_ Twilight glanced down at the scanner again, but the farther away the girls got, the lower the needle fell. Seeing no other option, Twilight followed them. As she got closer to the girls, the needle climbed back into the middle of the red, then dipped to near the edge, then back to the middle again, as if the scanner could pick up energy, but couldn't tell how strong the reading was. Glancing up, Twilight saw that she was right behind the girls, who were right behind Applejack and Fluttershy. Twilight could catch snippets of their argument, how Applejack claimed the orchard was not a restaurant, and how Fluttershy kept defending the bats, and she grinned, despite herself. But her grin faded as she glanced back down at the scanner. The needle was still moving all over the red area, even when she held the scanner completely still.

"_Twilight?"_ Twilight jumped as a voice whispered in her ear. She glanced around wildly for the source, but saw no one, than she remembered her earpiece.

Shifting the scanner to one hand, her other hand clasped the bracelet on her wrist and pressed the hidden button. "Yes. I'm here" She whispered.

"_I need to know, who is Discord and what has he been doing recently__?"_ 'Twilight's voice sounded slightly panicked, causing Twilight smile and roll her eyes before replying.

"Discord is a draconequus and the former embodiment of disharmony in Equestria. Years ago, he ruled over Equestria with a state of unrest and unhappiness, but was defeated by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Now he's reformed, and is an adviser to the Princesses. Last I heard, he was visiting with the Fluttershy in my world. He does that quite often"

"_Right, thanks! How's the search going?"_

"Well, I've..._Gahhh!"_ Twilight broke off with a gasp and took a step backwards. While speaking with 'Twilight', she had failed to notice that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had stopped ahead of her and had walked right into them. As the girls whirled to face her, both exclaiming in annoyance, Twilight found herself staring into two sets of glaring, glowing green eyes. _Green eyes, just like Flash Sentry!_ She realized with horror as she took a step back.

"What's wrong with _you_?" Silver Spoon asked, cocking her head as she took in Twilight's stunned reaction.

"Ummm...nothing" Twilight recovered quickly and hid the scanner behind her back. "I...didn't see you. Sorry!" She squeaked, dropping her eyes to the floor, but glanced back up as Diamond Tiara spoke.

"Well, next time, watch where you're going!" She snapped, her voice cool and calm sounding despite the anger on her face. Then Silver Spoon, who had been glancing around, tapped her on the shoulder and pointed down the corridor. Looking, Twilight could see that Applejack and Fluttershy had just turned the corner at the end of the hall. Diamond Tiara gave Twilight a look of pure loathing, though her green eyes flashing in the light creeped Twilight out far more, before the two girls turned and ran down the hall in the direction that her friends had gone.

As Twilight watched the girls go, memories of the canterlot wedding assaulted her mind again, more specifically herself and cadence facing three bridesmaids with glowing green eyes in the crystal caverns beneath Canterlot castle. _I knew it!_ She thought to herself sadly. _Imitae IS still here! And she's having people spy on my friends!_

_"Twilight!"_ Twilight jumped as her double's voice rang in her ear. She had forgotten all about her. Glancing around, she saw an open door leading to an empty classroom. Dashing inside, she leaned against the door, one hand on her chest, feeling her heart beat rapidly. _"Twilight, are you there?"_

Twilight pressed the button on the bracelet. _"_I'm here" She spoke, feeling her voice tense up.

An exclamation of relief came through the earpiece "_What happened?"_ 'Twilight' demanded, sounding annoyed.

"Any doubts I had that Imitae was _not_ here, were just erased." Twilight reported grimly.

"_What do you mean?"_

"Imitae's been feeding on the students of Canterlot High. She's already gotten to Flash Sentry, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon."

"_How can you tell?"_

"First off, your scanner. It's set to detect traces of Equestrian magic. That's what lead you here, right?"

"_Yes, I guess so_"

"Well, the only figures that have Equestrian magic are the two of us, my friends, and Imitae. I reason that anyone she feeds on, and takes control of, will have been given traces of her magic."

"_Hmmm. Makes sense"_

"But there's another way you can tell. Anyone affected by a changeling has glowing green eyes, the same aura as a changeling's magic."

"_Did you say, glowing green eyes?_" Twilight froze as she heard concern in her double's voice.

"Yes, why? Have you seen any?"

"_Yes I have"_ 'Twilight's reply made Twilight's eyes widen in horror. _"I've seen three students with eyes like that. They keep popping up everywhere I go, it's like they're following me!"_

"Twilight, they _are_ following you! I just saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon trailing Applejack and Fluttershy. If they're anything like their Equestrian counterparts, than that's something they _certainly_ wouldn't do by choice. I'll bet Imitae is having her thralls monitor all of you girls!"

There was silence at the other end, then when 'Twilight' spoke again, her tone was serious. "_If she's going to all this trouble, than she must have something planned, something she doesn't want us to interfere with."_

"Exactly."

"_All the more reason to find Imitae now. You said you had an idea who she was."_

"Yes, I think she's posing as a girl named Mirranda, but I haven't seen her all morning."

"_What does she look like?"_

_"_Grey-black skin, greenish-blue hair, last time I saw her she was wearing a black dress, and she's wearing a necklace with a large stone around her neck.

_Okay, I'll keep my eyes open. I'd better get back out there. I'm in the bathroom at the moment. Good luck!"_

"You too" Twilight signed off, feeling anger and fear twist together inside her. _I'm probably going to need it._ She thought to herself as she opened the door and strode back into the crowded hallway.

* * *

Sunset Shimmer twiddled with the dial of her locker, pulled open the door, and frowned in confusion. Sitting on top of her cell phone was a folded piece of paper. "That wasn't there earlier" She mused, picking it up and unfolding it.

_-Sunset Shimmer-_

_-I know your secret-_

_-Meet me in the gymnasium at 11:50...or else-_

_-A Friend-_

Sunset's eyes widened as she read the note again. Her secret? What did _that_ mean? Then a feeling of dread took hold and she glanced up to where her friends were all chatting nearby. _Could this be Imitae's doing? _She wondered as her eyes found Twilight, who was speaking with Rarity. She glanced at the clock, which chowed 11:45. It would take her five minutes to get to the gym from her locker. Sunset frowned, her eyes narrowed and she crumpled the paper in her hands. "No one blackmails me _or_ my friends and gets away with it." She growled.

"Ummm...Are you okay, Sunset?" Fluttershy spoke up, noticing her friend's dark reaction.

"I'm fine" Sunset replied. "I just...need to take care of something" With that, she turned and walked away towards the gym.

Five minutes later, Sunset pushed open the door to the gymnasium, and stepped inside. The gym was quiet and appeared to be empty. Walking to the middle of the gym, Sunset slowly turned in a circle, her eyes scanning the floor and the bleachers, and saw no one, which only made her angrier. She barely heard the crinkle of the paper in her hands as she clenched them into fists.

"Hi Sunset!" A cheery voice made Sunset spin around to see Sonata standing near one of the bleachers, a big grin on her face, her hand waving.

"What are _you_ doing here, Sonata?" Sunset demanded.

Sonata's grin faded, replaced by a puzzled look as she lowered her hand. "Did you not get the note I left you?" She asked, making Sunset's eyes widen in surprise.

"Wait. _You_ wrote this?" She demanded, marching up to the siren and holding out the crumpled paper for her to see. "Why would you do that?"

"Actually, _I_ wrote that note" Another voice answered. Aria Blaze stepped out from behind the bleacher. "And as for why I wrote it, well...I think you already know the answer to that question, don't you?" Aria's purple eyes flashed and her lip curled. Sonata nodded, a smile back on her face, but her eyes had narrowed so the smile now looked evil.

"No, I don't" Sunset shook her head, causing Sonata to snort with laughter. "And I don't appreciate getting called out for no apparent reason!" She crumpled the paper and tossed at the siren' feet.

"Oh, we have a _very_ good reason for calling you here" Sonata's voice was suddenly cool and collected. "Don't we, Aria?" She shot a glance at her purple-skinned sister, who nodded, not saying anything.

"Well, what is it?" Sunset demanded as she felt uneasiness slowly begin to creep up into her mind as she gazed from one siren to the other. Their cold eyes suddenly seemed to look right through her.

"Let's just say it has to do with our sister." Aria finally explained, and as she did, she reached up and fingered something around her neck, a red jewel. Sunset gasped as surprise, then fear, raced through her mind, which was made worse when she saw a similar jewel around Sonata's neck. _The Sirens got their magic back!_ The grim thought echoed in Sunset's mind as she saw the gems begin to glow faintly. _But how? _

* * *

**Oooohh! As if the girls didn't have enough problems, now more are showing up! **

**How is 'Twilight' going to deal with the fact she's being spied on. She wanted to be bait, but I'm not sure this is what she had in mind! And what do the sirens want with Sunset Shimmer? A little payback, perhaps? And where's Adagio?**

**I think that's enough questions to leave you with until next time! As always, if you have an answer, feel free to pitch it at me. I may (of may not) tell you if you are right. (but probably not) !) **

**Until next time! **


	18. Chapter 18

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(I think I've kept you all waiting long enough. Here's the next chapter!)**

**CH 18**

Sunset Shimmer gasped and took a step backwards as the two sirens stepped forward in unison, her eyes staring at the glowing pendants around their necks. Sonata noticed the expression and frowned in confusion.

"What are you…?" She followed her gaze down. "Oh, you like our necklaces? We made them ourselves!" She boasted, smiling broadly.

"Sunset was caught by surprise. "W-what?" She finally stammered, causing Aria to roll her eyes.

"Relax; they're not what you think." She explained, unclasping hers and holding it out in her hand so Sunset could get a better look. Under closer examination, Sunset saw that the gem was actually a shard of red glass suspended by a thin gold chain. "Not as good as the ones we _used_ to have, but, we've gotten so used to having them there, it felt strange not to have _some_ kind of accessory, even if this one isn't magical." Aria explained, clasping her necklace around her neck again. Against her skin and clothing, the gold chain was almost invisible. "And no…we did not ask you here so we could get revenge, though now that I think about it…" She smiled mischievously.

"Aria, we said we weren't going down that path anymore!" Sonata scolded, causing Aria to suck in her breath in annoyance.

"Spoilsport" She muttered under her breath.

"Well, if you're not here for revenge than why did you drag me out here?" Sunset asked, waving the note. To her surprise, both sirens glanced at each other then at the floor. Based on their body language, they were clearly nervous and maybe a little embarrassed.

"You see…" Aria began, looking back at Sunset, but not meeting her eyes. "The thing is…"

"We need your help!" Sonata blurted out, earning herself a dark look from Aria.

Sunset was stunned. "And you thought that you could get it by blackmailing me?" She accused. "You could have just asked me!"

"Hey! For hundreds of years, we had people and ponies doing things _for_ us!" Aria argued, back, looking annoyed. "We sang, and they obeyed. We're new to the whole asking-for-help thing!" Sunset had to admit that was a good point.

"Besides, you might have said no" Sonata added, sadness in both her voice and her eyes. "And we really, really, _really_ need your help"

Sunset paused for a moment, considering. The siren's facial expressions and body language were showing her that they had placed themselves in an uncomfortable position, and with their vocal powers gone they weren't that much of a threat, at least, that's what Sunset hoped. _I guess it couldn't hurt just to hear what they have to say_. She reasoned. Finally, she nodded at them

"Does that mean you'll help us?" Sonata's face lit up and Aria glanced up hopefully.

"It means I'll hear you out first, _then_ decide" Sunset replied firmly, crossing her arms.

Aria sighed, but she nodded. "That's better than nothing"

"So, what's the problem?"

"It's…it's about Adagio" The concern in Sonata's voice became extremely evident as she spoke.

"Your sister?" Sunset glanced around, just now noticing that the golden-haired siren was nowhere in sight.

Sonata nodded. "Something's happened to her."

Sunset narrowed an eye. "What do you mean?"

"Well, even back in Equestria, Adagio was our leader. She was always looking out for the two of us. Even when she said she despised us, we always knew she never really meant it" Aria started to explain. "And when we lost our powers following the battle of the bands…" Both Aria and Sonata winced at those words. "We lost our ability to feed on emotions. That's what we depended on to keep us alive in this world. Without it, we had to resort to eating human food, and that costs money, that we didn't have" Aria made a face, and Sunset felt a pang of understanding.

"I know how that feels" She said mournfully, remembering back to her first days in this world. Those were _not_ pleasant memories.

"But Adagio never lost her determination, even after what you and the Rainbooms did to us." Aria continued, and this time it was Sunset who winced. Did she _have_ to say it like _that?_ "In fact, if anything, what you did inspired her more"

"She even got a job as a computer technician" Sonata piped up, "And she helped us get after-school jobs too."

Aria nodded. "I work as a clerk at a clothing store and Sonata works as a chef."

"Really?" Sunset glanced at Sonata, and the girl's cheeks flushed a little.

"It's just at a taco place. Nothing fancy" She mumbled.

"The point is…" Aria continued, "Adagio has been the pillar keeping us together. Until last night, that is"

"What do you mean?" Sunset leaned forward now, homing in on the sadness in the siren's voice.

"Well, when she came home last night, she was…different." Aria paused, as if unsure how to continue. "She was…was…" Aria struggled to find the right words.

"Ruder?" Sonata suggested

"For one thing" Aria nodded "But it wasn't that obvious. We could just…tell that something had happened to her. You see, we can sense magic in other things and other people, especially magic from Equestria. That's what drew us to Canterlot High in the first place. Equestrian magic has a strong presence here."

"That, and it tends to make enormous light shows that are impossible to ignore" Sonata jokingly added. She laughed, Sunset chuckled despite herself and even Aria smiled.

"And we could sense Equestrian magic around Adagio last night, magic that was affecting her somehow. So that's why we wanted to talk to you, seeing as how you're from Equestria…_Don't try to deny it!"_ Aria suddenly snapped as Sunset gasped in surprise. "We can sense the magic coming off of you right now"

"She's right, and it's really strong" Sonata added, closing her eyes and holding a hand out towards Sunset. "You must have been a powerful unicorn back in Equestria"

Sunset felt her face flush. "Well I…wait. Was _this_ the secret you were talking about in your note?"

The two sirens glanced at each other, then back at Sunset, and nodded. Sunset felt a surge of relief flood through her as she visibly relaxed. "Hate to break it to you girls, but that secret's pretty much out already."

"Yeah, we noticed" Aria smiled, fingering the red glass on her necklace. "And we're sorry about being so forceful, but we didn't know how else to ask"

"It's okay, I can understand what you've been through." Sunset assured them. "Next time though, you might want to ask nicely"

"We'll remember" Sonata promised, then added nervously. "So…will you help us?"

Sunset had already made her decision to help them but she deliberately made a show of thinking it over, which fooled Sonata but not Aria, before finally saying. "Sure, I guess I can try."

"Really? Oh Thank You! Thank You!" Sonata leapt forward and hugged Sunset very tightly. Aria smiled gratefully at her and Sunset felt her cheeks grow hot. Just then, the ring of the lunch bell echoed through the school.

"Well" Sunset gasped, trying to extract herself from the group. "Why don't you walk with me to lunch and tell me exactly what's going on?" She finally wrenched herself free of the siren's grip, only for Sonata to grab her arm as the three girls headed out of the gymnasium.

* * *

Twilight Sparkle adjusted her wig as she watched her double walk past with her friends. Their eyes met for a minute and 'Twilight' winked and smiled. Twilight smiled back, but she felt dread whirl around in her stomach like a cyclone. Knowing that Imitae's victims were now watching her double's every move made Twilight feel more on edge. Sure enough, as she glanced around, she saw a girl wearing green with a white streak in her hair and glowing green eyes trail a few feet behind the group. Twilight took a deep breath and fell into line behind the girl as they entered the cafeteria, raising the hood of the sweatshirt she had decided to wear. As she did, she failed the notice the girl had stopped suddenly.

"Watch it!" The girl snapped, spinning around and framing her with a glowing green glare.

"Pardon me!" Twilight squeaked, backing up a step and the girl turned and walked away. Breathing a sigh of relief, Twilight glanced around the cafeteria, the scanner in her hands sweeping the room as she turned. She saw 'Twilight' and her friends already sitting near each other, happily gossiping, except for 'Twilight' who was scanning the cafeteria with her eyes. As Twilight gathered her lunch, a salad and a bowl of fruit, she suddenly heard a beep from the scanner and felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Cadence" Twilight, who had tensed up, relaxed as she recognized Sunset Shimmer's voice. "Where have _you_ been hiding?"

"Sunset. Don't sneak up on me like...that?" Twilight turned to face her friend and was surprised to see Sunset flanked by Aria and Sonata.

For a few seconds, the girls just stood there, staring at each other. Then Sunset blinked "Oh, right. I'm sorry. Cadence, this is Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. Girls, this is our newest student, Cadence."

"We've met" Sonata chirped, smiling at Twilight. "It's great to see you again"

Aria didn't speak right away, she was looking Twilight up and down, focusing on her outfit. "Nice threads" She finally commented and Twilight felt a flush come to her cheeks.

"Th-thanks" She stammered, easily slipping into her new role as a shy girl. Sunset's mouth twitched and her eyes danced with laughter.

"Sunset!" Both girls looked up as Pinkie Pie's voice carried across the cafeteria. "Over here!" The pink-haired girl was waving wildly from her table.

"Care to join us?" Sunset asked, winking at Cadence as she bent to collect her tray. Twilight winked back and followed her.

"_What are you doing with the sirens?"_ She hissed as they crossed the cafeteria with the sirens a few paces behind them.

"_I'll explain more later"_ Sunset whispered back. "_But long story short, I think they are connected with our changeling problem. What's that?"_ Sunset's gaze had drifted to the scanner, which was still buzzing.

"_Something from 'Twilight'. I'll explain later__"_ She whispered and darted away before Sunset could reply. As she took a seat at an empty table, she felt eyes on her and bent over her salad. She glanced up a few minutes later and saw that Sunset had taken a seat at the Rainboom's table, but Aria and Sonata were still standing next to her. She pressed the button on her bracelet and whispered. "Twilight, can you tell me what's going on over there?" There was no verbal response, but there was a click in her ear and she suddenly found that she could hear what was being said at the table.

"_Ah have to say_" Applejack's voice echoed in her ear. "_Ah wasn't expecting to see you two here_" The girl adjusted her hat and gazed at Sonata and Aria, who were looking rather uncomfortable. From her vantage point, Twilight could see that all the Rainbooms were giving the sirens suspicious looks except for 'Twilight' and Sunset.

"_Yeah, what are you two doing here_?" Rainbow dash pressed, half-rising out of her chair with her eyes narrowed accusingly.

"_Relax girls, they're with me_." Sunset assured them, gesturing for the sirens to sit down. They did so, though they sat a little distance from everyone else.

"_But Sunset, they're...well...you know_" Rainbow Dash argued, but Sunset framed her with a glare.

"_That's not fair, Rainbow Dash_" She scolded. "_They may have been your enemies once, but so was I, remember? If you can accept me, why can't you accept them_?"

As she expected, Rainbow Dash looked embarrassed. "_Sorry"_ She mumbled. Twilight felt a smile cross her face. "Sunset's certainly come a long way with learning the values of friendship" She noted to herself.

"_It's okay_" Even though Sonata was sitting facing away from Twilight, the smile in her voice was evident. "_We understand your hesitation_"

"_We're not trying to intrude on your friendship_. "Aria added, stirring her soup with her spoon. "_We've just asked Sunset's help with something_."

"_And what's that_?" Applejack asked.

Aria and Sonata glanced at each other, neither of them answered. "_It's okay, you can trust them_." Sunset urged.

"_It's our sister, Adagio_" Aria finally spoke. "_Something's happened to her_"

"_She's...not herself_" Sonata added gloomily.

"_That's funny. She looks alright to me_" Twilight, who had been staring down at her food, glanced up at Pinkie's statement and glanced towards the cafeteria doors. A figure had just stepped through them, a figure wearing purple with puffy golden colored hair and reddish pink eyes.

"_Adagio_" Twilight heard Aria gasp aloud. Sonata meanwhile, had leapt to her feet and darted across the cafeteria until she was standing face to face with Adagio. The girls couldn't hear what was being said, but if looked like Sontata was asking her something. Then to everyone's surprise, a disgusted look crossed Adagio's face and she snapped something that made Sonata visibly stiffen before roughly pushing the girl aside as she walked away. As she glanced around the cafeteria, her gaze rested on Twilight, who ducked her head down.

"_Wow, that was harsh_" She heard Sunset observe through her earpiece.

"_See what I mean?_" Aria explained looking angry now. "_The Adagio we know would have never done something like that, even if she was angry at us! Something's happened to her"_

"_Ah think yer right, but what coulda happened?"_ Applejack's question went unanswered.

"Hey!" Twilight jumped as a voice rang out next to her. She looked up, straight into the eyes of Mirranda! The green-haired girl was glaring at her with an almost hungry look in her eyes. "Do you mind? This is _my_ seat" Next to her, Flash Sentry was staring at Twilight with a bored look on his face, his green eyes glowing steadily.

_Bzzzzzzzz!_ Twilight glanced down at the scanner, which she had laid on the table, went off in a steady tone. The device was pointing at squarely at Mirranda and the needle was sitting at the highest setting it could go. Twilight bit her lip, then glanced up at Mirranda, who was still staring back at her. Her green eyes flashed and for a second, they seemed to change. They became slitted, like a cat's eyes and her green hair seemed to flutter suddenly by itself. Twilight barely heard the gasp escape her lips. "_Imitae!"_

* * *

**Fooled you, didn't I? If Sunset Shimmer has taught us anything, it's that all people are capable of change. **

**Well, looks like we finally found Imitae! So, what happens next?**** You'll have to wait and see. (I know! I know! But stories don't write themselves overnight!)**

**Patience my friends. I will try to make it worth the wait. **


	19. Chapter 19

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Once more into the breach, my friends! Here is the next chapter!)**

**CH 19**

Imitae's eyes narrowed. "_What_ did you say?" She demanded, glaring at Twilight, who quickly hid the scanner behind her back.

"Um...I said I'm uh..late! Pardon me!" Twilight squeaked, abandoning her lunch, as she grabbed her backpack and scurried away from the table. As she crossed the cafeteria, she saw a look of surprise appear on 'Twilight's face. Twilight paused long enough to tap her bracelet and her double gave a tiny nod. Feeling eyes on her back, Twilight quickened her pace and burst through the cafeteria doors sooner than expected. She leaned against the hallway wall, taking deep breaths, trying to calm her jittery nerves. Her heart seemed to be fluttering louder than a bugbear's wings.

"_Twilight?"_ Even though she was expecting 'Twilight' to contact her, Twilight still leapt a foot into the air. Fortunately there was no one nearby.

"I'm here" She whispered after taking a few deep breaths to calm down.

"_What happened? You looked like you'd seen a ghost" _ Twilight smiled at the apparent concern in her double's voice.

"No, but its just as bad. I found Imitae" Twilight reported grimly.

"_You **did**?"_ 'Twilight's voice rose an octave, which made Twilight wince.

"Yes, and I was right all along. Imitae is Mirranda!"

"_Great! Um...who is Mirranda again?"_ 'Twilight' asked.

"She's got grey skin with bluish-green hair and green eyes. She's wearing black clothing"

There was another pause. "_Um...I don't see anyone that looks like that. Are you sure?"_

Twilight was confused. "Yes, I'm sure!" She insisted, but she could feel doubt creep into her mind.

"_Well I don't see a girl with blueish-green hair. Where is she sitting?"_

Peeking back through the cafeteria doors, Twilight scanned the cafeteria until she saw Adagio and Mirranda sitting at the table she had been sitting at a moment ago. "Okay, at the table third down from the food line, where I was sitting earlier, can you see Adagio?" She asked.

"_Yes"_

"Well, Mirranda is the green-haired girl sitting next to her" Twilight whispered as she watched Imitae and Adagio laughed at something Adagio said.

"_Um, The girl sitting next to Adagio has red hair, not green"_ 'Twilight answered a minute later.

_What?_ Twilight narrowed her eyes and looked again. "I'm looking right at her, her hair is green" She insisted

"_I'm looking at her too, and I see red hair. Are we looking at the same person?"_

Twilight groaned, then froze as an idea struck her. She set down her unzipped backpack and rummaged around inside it until she found what she was looking for, the grey hooded sweatshirt that 'Twilight' had worn earlier that morning. As she pulled it out, something fell out of the pack with it. A tiny object that reminded her of a beetle. Picking it up, she stuffed it into her skirt pocket, then pulled on the sweatshirt. Raising the hood to cover her hair and face, she made her way back into the cafeteria. Keeping her head down, she moved through the tables until she was standing behind Imitae and Adagio, who were too engrossed in conversation to notice her. "Okay, I'm wearing the sweatshirt you wore this morning. Can you see me?" She whispered into her bracelet.

_"I don't...wait! Yes, I see you now"_ Twilight looked up to see her double staring right at her. A single pair of eyes surrounded by a sea of chattering heads. All of Twilight's friends were conversing with each other or eating. Her double was the only one looking up. At the back of her mind, Twilight was impressed by the risk 'Twilight' was taking. Talking to your bracelet covertly in the middle of a crowded cafeteria cannot be easy.

"Okay, Mirranda is the girl sitting directly in front of me, talking to Adagio." Twilight explained, moving so that Mirranda's seat was directly in front of her. She glanced up and saw 'Twilight' staring at them with a frown on her face.

"_I see you and I see a girl talking to Adagio, but the girl does not have green hair"_ 'Twilight' whispered into her bracelet, then smiled at Sunset, who had glanced up from her soup and had given her a funny look.

Twilight frowned as she stared at Mirranda's bluish-green hair. _How could my double see something different?_ She wondered. _Maybe it's the Star Stone._ She thought to herself. _If it somehow restored Imitae's shape-shifting powers, that might explain it._ On a hunch, Twilight backed away slowly until she was leaning against the wall. slipping her backpack to the ground, she reached inside and pulled out the scanner. As soon as she had pointed it at Mirranda, the needle shot up into the far edge of the red zone. Twilight scowled. Only the Star Stone could give off a reading like that. "Twilight, the girl sitting in front of me with Adagio is definitely Imitae, I'm certain of it."

_"Okay, so now that we've found her, what should we do?"_ 'Twilight's question made Twilight pause. What _was_ she going to do now? Twilight leaned against the wall as she thought it over. Part of her wanted to tell the other girls, then they could all take care of this together. She glanced over at the table where her friends were sitting, and saw 'Twilight' staring back at her, and fought the urge to shudder. It was still strange for her to be looking at a mirror image of herself. Then Rarity suddenly placed her hand on 'Twilight's shoulder, making the latter jump and Twilight felt a smile cross her face. She shook her head. "No, I'd rather not tell them just yet, not until we know exactly what Imitae is planning" She whispered into her bracelet, glancing back at Adagio and Imitae, who were huddled in discussion. Flash sentry sat next to them, staring into space. "If only there was a way I could hear what _they_ were saying like I could hear what you and the girls were saying"

"_Actually, there is"_ Twilight perked up at her double's response. "_If you look in my backpack, you'll see a small gadget shaped like a bug. It's a listening device. Peel off the backing, stick it on something or someone, and it picks up conversations up to 50 ft away. If you can get one on Adagio or Imitae, you should be able to hear anything they say"_

"_Twilight, why are you talking to your bracelet?"_ Twilight glanced up at Aria's question to find everyone staring at 'Twilight', who was turning red. She glanced up at Twilight, her eyes pleading.

"Tell them I...talk to myself. I do it when I do research sometimes, it's a habit." Twilight felt embarrassed as soon as she said it, and her double looked uncertain, but repeated her words to the group. Surprisingly, they seemed to accept this, though Twilight noticed Rainbow Dash and Rarity glance hesitantly in Pinkie Pie's direction. "So, I just peel off the backing and press the bug onto Imitae, right?" 'Twilight' glanced up and nodded, but before she could say anything, Pinkie Pie said something that grabbed her attention. Twilight sighed, it looked like she was on her own.

_So how do I get this onto Imitae without her knowing?_ Twilight thought, pulling the bug from her skirt pocket and glancing at it. There was a thin layer of film on the back, where the adhesive was covered, the bug itself was about the size of her fingernail and was dark colored. Twilight was certain that it would blend in well once it was on Imitae, but how to get it on her, and where? Twilight glanced up, studying the table. Flash Sentry was tucking into Twilight's abandoned lunch, munching away with a bored look in his eyes. Twilight felt her stomach growl in protest and tried to ignore it. Imitae was still talking with Adagio, but while the siren seemed relaxed, the changeling seemed tense, and kept glancing around, as if looking for something. Twilight ducked her head as the girl glanced her way, grateful she was wearing the hooded sweatshirt. As she did, she noticed something, Adagio's seating posture was crooked, and one of her legs stuck out into the aisle. If someone were to...Twilight froze as an idea crept into her head, than a smile broke across her face as she thought of an even better idea.

"Here goes nothing" She muttered to herself as she grabbed a tray and got in line for lunch, carefully peeling off the film on the bug's back. Setting it carefully, sticky side up, on the tray, she grabbed an apple and a small salad with dressing on the side. Smiling at Granny Smith, who waved her onward, Twilight took her tray and started walking, as she did, she transferred the bug to her left hand, clutching it carefully in her suddenly shaking fingers. As she approached the table where Imitae and the others were sitting, she saw Adagio's leg, still sticking out, in front of her and Imitae, sitting facing her, glancing away in the direction where 'Twilight' was sitting. It was now or never! Twilight felt her muscles tense and her heart beat rise. Forcing herself to remain calm, she kept walking until she felt her foot come into contact with Adagio's leg. "WOOAAHHH!" She screamed as she threw herself forward, directly at Imitae, who whirled around. As Twilight flew through the air, her hand brushed Imitae's arm just beneath the girl's shoulder and Twilight's eyes widened as she felt a sudden surge of energy. It didn't hurt, but it definitely felt magical. There was a loud CRASH and chatter in the room ceased immediately. Then Imitae and Adagio screamed.

Twilight glanced up from where she had fallen to see that the dark-skinned girl had leapt to her feet. She was staring down at her top, which was stained with dressing from the salad and covered with leaves. Adagio cried out and tried brushing the salad leaves from her clothing. Both girls had an expression of shock written all over their faces, then Imitae glanced at Twilight and her expression melted to one of rage. Before Twilight could react, Imitae grabbed Twilight's hood and pulled it down. Her eyes widened in recognition, then narrowed. "You!" She hissed, her cat-like eyes flashing.

"I...I'm really sorry!" Twilight quickly apologized. "It was an accident!" Technically it was the truth. Twilight hadn't meant to spill her food on Imitae and Adagio, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Adagio snapped, wiping salad greens off of her face and out of her hair. Twilight made herself look submissive, like she had seen Fluttershy do sometimes, keeping her head bowed and her voice tiny.

"N-no, I didn't m-mean to..." Twilight squeaked, deliberately stuttering her voice, making it sound more timid.

"You're going to pay for this, you clumsy klutz!" Imitae screeched. Twilight glanced around the cafeteria, and saw the whole room watching them. Several students had risen to their feet, strangely all of them had green eyes, including Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Over at her friend's table, she saw 'Twilight' and the others watching the show with various looks of surprise, and in some cases, horror, on their faces. 'Twilight' and Sunset in particular were watching with wide eyes. "Did you hear me?" Imitae demanded, reaching down, grabbing Twilight and hauling her to her feet by the scruff of her sweatshirt. "I said you're going to pay for this!"

"I...I..." Twilight stammered, feeling her limbs beginning to shake, feeling genuine fear start to flood through her. She blinked rapidly and felt tears start to leak into her eyes. "I'M SORRY!"She cried before covering her face with her hands and ran off, sobbing. Bursting through the cafeteria doors, she ran down the hallway, not stopping until she reached an empty classroom. She darted inside, leaned against the door, and breathed a great sigh of relief, a smile slowly spreading over her face.

* * *

"Wasn't that Cadence?" Rainbow Dash asked aloud as the girls watched Twilight burst through the cafeteria doors and disappear.

"I...think...so" Sunset slowly replied, her mind still abuzz over what she had just seen. A slight movement made her glance sideways, where she saw 'Twilight raise her bracelet to her lips, her other hand clutching it tightly. Sunset cleared her throat and 'Twilight' froze with her mouth slightly open. Sunset shook her head slightly. 'Twilight''s cheeks flushed slightly and she lowered her hand.

"How dare those girls treat her that way!" Rarity huffed, shooting an annoyed glance at Imitae, who was sitting back down, clearing the salad remains off of her top. "No offense to Adagio" Rarity quickly added, glancing at Aria and Sonata.

"It's fine" Sonata shook her head. "Like we said, the _real_ Adagio wouldn't have done something like that"

"She'd have probably done something worse" Rainbow Dash muttered, but Aria heard her and shot the girl a fierce glare.

"Who's that girl with Adagio?" Applejack narrowed her eyes. "I don't remember seein' her around"

"Her name's Mirranda. She's new" Sonata piped up. "She's the newest member of the Dramas."

Sunset nodded. "Tw- I mean 'Cadence' told me that she had had a bad encounter with Mirranda in the gymnasium yesterday"

"Hey yeah, I remember that!" Sonata's smile faded. "That was weird!"

"I think we'd better go find Cadence" 'Twilight' announced, getting to her feet. "She looked really upset"

"I'll go with you" Sunset leapt to her feet.

"Us too!" All the Rainbooms leapt to their feet.

"Fine" Sunset nodded, then turned to the sirens. "Can you watch things here?"

Aria and Sonata glanced at each other, then nodded. "No problem"

"Thanks." With that, Sunset lead the group out of the cafeteria. Outside in the hallway, the Rainbooms split up. Sunset and 'Twilight' went one way, while the others went another way. Once they were out of earshot of the others, Sunset grabbed 'Twilight's wrist and screeched to a halt. "What is Twilight up to?" She wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure" 'Twilight' admitted, then suddenly seemed to realize what she was saying. "I mean...What are you talking about?"

Sunset crossed her arms, a frown on her face. "Enough with the act, I know you're the human Twilight pretending to be the Equestrian Twilight, who is masquerading as Cadence! I helped come up with the Cadence look! Now what's going on?"

'Twilight' made a face, but when she opened her eyes again, they were sincere. "I'm sorry. I forgot you were Equestrian too." She admitted. "You see, I wanted to pretend to be Twilight in order to distract Imitae so the real Twilight could find out who she was, and from what she told me a few minutes ago, she's just figured that out."

Sunset's eyes widened. "A few minutes ago?" She repeated. "But she was nowhere near our table. How'd she tell you?"

'Twilight' paused for a second, then tapped her ear. "I've hooked up a two way radio with Twilight, so we could communicate without anyone seeing or hearing us" She explained. She then tapped her bracelet. "This is the microphone. It's very sensitive, capable of transmitting even a whisper, clear as day."

"So _that_'s why you were always muttering like that" Sunset smiled. "Clever!"

'Twilight' smiled, then glanced around. "Keep a look out" She ordered, than raised the bracelet to her lips. "Twilight, can you hear me?" She whispered. A few seconds later she asked "Where are you?" A minute passed, then "Okay, we're on our way" Glancing up, she said. "She's in room 115, and she says she's got something big to tell us"

"Room 115? That's one of the science labs. This way" Sunset took the lead and the two girls walked quickly down the corridors until they arrived at said classroom. Sunset opened the door and they peeked inside. Twilight, who had been facing the window, spun around, but her face lit up when she saw who it was.

"Twilight, I did it!" Twilight exclaimed, smiling broadly. "I planted the listening device on Imitae!"

'Twilight' stared, then she laughed. "Well done!" She patted her double on the shoulder before reaching for her backpack and started to rummage through it.

"A listening device? Is _that_ what that scene in the Cafeteria was about?" Sunset asked. "You planted a bug on Imitae?"

Twilight nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. "I didn't mean for it to get so..._messy_"

Sunset snorted with amusement, then her face softened. "You're quite the actress, Twilight" She commented

"Thanks" Twilight felt a blush coming to her cheeks and hoped it wasn't visible through her makeup. "But I have to say, I was _so_ nervous!"

"Got it!" 'Twilight announced, stopping their conversation. She had pulled a case-like device from her backpack, and had opened it, revealing a pair of spools, a speaker, and a set of folding antennae. 'Twilight' raised several of the antennae and twiddled a small dial on the case. Static came through the speaker, then two clear voices broke through the noise.

"It's Adagio and Mirranda!" Twilight exclaimed.

'Twilight' nodded. "Full audio broadcasting, good quality reception. Good job on placing that bug!" She smiled at Twilight, who smiled back and nodded.

"Now maybe we'll finally get some answers" Sunset glanced at the other two as they all bent their heads to listen.

* * *

**Well, that took a bit longer to write than I thought! I think this is the longest chapter I've written so far, too!**

**I thought the listening device as a nice technological touch. I have to admit, I was struggling to find the best way to have Twilight plant the device. I think this was the best way, what do you think?**

**So, now that the device is in place, what do you think we are going to hear? Will we finally learn Imitae's master plan? To find out, stay tuned! **

**Review and Respond! We're picking up speed here! Don't make me stop now!**

**Until next time!**


	20. Chapter 20

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Why is it that Fanfiction decided to go down right as I was finishing my latest chapter? Oh well, I suppose it was worth it!)**

**CH 20**

Sunset and the two Twilights leaned eagerly over the speaker, straining to hear the words the listening device was picking up. Imitae and Adagio sounded angry and their voices had a strange echo to them.

"Where do you think they are?" Twilight asked aloud.

"Considering the mess _you_ gave them, and the sound I'm hearing, probably in a bathroom." Sunset answered, chuckling along with 'Twilight'.

Twilight felt a flush coming to her cheeks. "I told you, I-I didn't mean for _that_ to happen". Sunset rolled her eyes in response. "Seriously!" Twilight stated. "It just happened!"

"Shh! I can't hear them!" 'Twilight' shushed them, adjusting a knob on the speaker.

"_Ugh, yuck! What is this stuff?"_ Imitae exclaimed in disgust.

_"It's called dressing. Humans put it on their salads, to make them taste better, I think"_ Adagio explained over a rustling of what sounded like paper. Twilight imagined that the girls were using paper towels to wipe off the dressing.

_"But why would humans do that? It's so strange!"_ Imitae asked over the sound of water and squeaking taps.

Adagio sighed dramatically. "_Imitae,_ _I've lived among humans for hundreds of years and I couldn't begin to explain HALF the stuff that that humans do"_

'Twilight' cocked her head, looking confused. "Hundreds of years?" She repeated, turning towards the other girls. "What does she mean by that?". Twilight and Sunset glanced at each other, unsure of how to answer her. 'Twilight's confused look faded to an angry frown. "Is there something you're not telling me?" She demanded.

"Twilight, remember I told you about when the Dazzlings were defeated at the Battle of the Bands?" Twilight asked. Her double nodded. "Well, Adagio was the leader of the Dazzlings, along with her two sisters, Sonata and Aria"

'Twilight' frowned, thinking. "Those names sound familiar" She muttered.

"They should" Sunset added. "You met them at lunch today, remember?"

'Twilight's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah" , then she looked confused again. "So...?"

"The Dazzlings come from Equestria, just like Twilight and I" Sunset explained.

'Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh, so they're ponies, like you?"

Twilight shook her head. "Not ponies. Sirens"

'Twilight's eyes bugged out. "S-Sirens? As in the mythical creature that can control other creatures with its voice? _That_ kind of siren?"

Sunset nodded grimly. "When they first came to Canterlot High, they used their voices and their music to entrance all the students into fighting with each other. They nearly succeeded in tearing apart the unity between different students that we had so recently developed."

"But why would they do that?" 'Twilight' asked, cocking her head.

"Because that's their power." Sunset explained. "Hundreds of years ago in Equestria, the sirens used their magic to charm ponies into fighting with each other. They fed off the negative energy released by this fighting, which made their powers even stronger. If they had their way, they would have divided Equestia long ago."

'Twilight's jaw dropped as her eyes widened to the size of golf balls. "D-does Imitae know about this?" She asked nervously.

Twilight shook her head. "If she does know, it wouldn't matter. The sirens don't have their powers anymore. After we defeated them at the Battle of the Bands, we were able to strip them of their magic. They're just regular teenage girls now." Twilight smiled at her double, but inside she felt a sudden chill as a scary thought entered her mind.

"Well, that's a relief" 'Twilight' sighed, smiling again. "But how did the sirens wind up _here?_ You said they terrorized Equestria hundreds of years ago, why did they surface now?" 'Twilight's eyes suddenly widened again. "Unless maybe time flows at a different rate in Equestria than it does here!" She narrowed her eyes, glancing at Twilight and Sunset. "Exactly how old are you?" She asked.

Twilight and Sunset glanced at each other again, each trying hard not to laugh at the superstitious look on 'Twilight's face. "Um...As far as I know, time flows the same in our world as it does here." Twilight finally answered. "I'd imagine that Sunset and I are about your age, maybe..slightly older in Sunset's case." Twilight smiled apologetically at her friend.

"And as for how the sirens wound up here..." Sunset continued, frowning slightly, but otherwise ignoring Twilight's remark. "A powerful unicorn sorcerer named Starswirl the Bearded was able to banish the sirens to another dimension, _this_ dimension. They've been stranded here for hundreds of years, using their powers to feed off of humanity's distrust and aggression."

"They've b-been here for..." 'Twilight's voice trailed off and she seemed to be awestruck. Slowly her eyes widened again and her mouth curved up into a big smile until she looked positively giddy. "Oh...My...Goodness!" She squeaked. "Just _think_ of what they've seen during that time! Oh I have so many questions to ask them! Do you think they'd allow me to do a physical...?"

"Shh! Listen!" Sunset interrupted, glancing at the speaker.

"_-Still don't understand why your plan has to take so long!"_ Adagio was saying.

_"Patience, Adagio"_ Imitae replied. _"We changelings have learned through experience that it never pays to rush things"_

"_But taking over one student at a time is too slow!"_ Adagio moaned. The girls glanced at each other, their expressions suddenly sober. "_You've been here not two days and we've only captured eight students. When my sisters and I first came here, we had most of the students under our spell within a few hours, and the entire school under our thrall in a day."_

_"And, how long did **that** last?"_ Imitae mocked.

Adagio spluttered angrily, sounding like a firecracker. "_Hey! We'd never met anyone who was immune to our song before, okay?_

_"Exactly, and **that** is why you lost against Twilight Sparkle and her friends and ended up stripped of your powers. Because you acted too quickly without forming any kind of plan at all!" _ Imitae criticized. _"You cannot misjudge anyone. A harmless face can hide your most harmful foe"_

There was a pause. "_What does that even mean?"_ Adagio demanded.

_"It means we need to keep a low profile. It didn't take Twilight Sparkle long to follow me to this world. Now that she's here, we can't afford to draw her attention"_ Imitae explained. "_At least not until we have the rest of the school under our control"_ Twilight frlt her features from and she saw heard Sunset sigh heavily. "_Besides, our thralls have watching her, and they've reported that she seems very uneasy, probably having trouble adjusting to this world"_ Imitae continued.

"If she only knew" 'Twilight' smiled, shaking her head sadly.

_"But she's been here before"_ Adagio argued, _"And** you** seem to be adjusting just fine" _

"_I'm a changeling. I'm used to adapting to new places. But an Equestrian Princess? That's gotta be different."_ Imitae sighed. "_Wi__th any luck, she'll give up and head back to Equestria before too long_."

_"She may have given up already if it wasn't for your little 'confrontation' with her yesterday"_ Adagio remarked, making everyone freeze.

"_What? How did you-?"_ Imitae stammered

"**_I'm_**_ the one controlling the thralls__, remember?"_ Adagio sounded smug. _"It's quite strange actually. You just told me that we should stay **away** from Twilight Sparkle, but you were perfectly eager to break her little 'toy' yesterday" _Twilight watched her double's hands slowly curl into fists at Adagio's words. _"Maybe you're not such an expert at strategy after all"_

"_Careful_ _Adagio!_" Imitae snapped suddenly. _"Remember that I gave you your powers back, and I can take them away just as easily!"_

There was a silence. Twilight and Sunset glanced at each other, their expressions mirror images of shock. Then they glanced back at the speaker as Adagio chuckled. "_Technically it was the Star Stone that restored my powers, **and yours** as well, I might add!"_ Twilight's eyes widened at this. She had been right! Imitae _was_ using the Star Stone! "_And thanks to your little escapade yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised if Twilight has already determined who you are!"_

"_If that were the case, she would have done something by now"_ Imitae countered. "_And besides, you know the Star Stone didn't restore our powers completely"_

_"Which is why you need **my** song to control our thralls."_ Adagio bragged, and the girls could practically hear the triumphant smirk in her voice.

_Yes, but it won't work on Twilight and her friends, remember?"_ Imitae reminded Adagio. "_If only there were some way to…Wait! That's it!"_ Imitae exclaimed.

"_What's it_?" Adgaio asked

"_You know Adagio, I think you may actually be right_" Imitae confessed.

"_I am?_" Adagio seemed stunned. "_I mean, of course I am!_" She recovered quickly.

"_My original plan **is** taking too long_" Imitae reasoned, and the girls could hear the sound of footsteps, like she was pacing. "_I wanted to take over the students slowly in order to hide from Twilight Sparkle, but if she's figured out who I am, then there's no point in hiding any longer."_

"So?"

_"So, with my cover blown, we need to move quickly while we still have time. We need to have the school under our control before Twilight can make a move against me. We can recruit en-mass, like you and your sisters did. We can boost your siren song with the Star Stone's power and control of all the students at once!"_

"Not this again" Sunset muttered grimly, shaking her head. "You'd think the students would be getting tired of becoming the pawns of magical creatures"

"_But Imitae, you were just saying that won't work. Twilight and her friends would stop the two of us, just as they stopped me and my sisters before_"

"_You're right_" Imitae agreed. "_They **would** stop us, unless **we** stopped **them** first_" The tone in Imitae's voice filled Twilight with unease.

"_And how exactly would we do that? There are seven of them and they all have magic powers. Against the two of us, even with the Star Stone's boost, those aren't odds I like"_

"_Simple. We turn them against each other"_ Sunset and Twilight glanced at each other, eyes widening. "_Their magic seems to be based on friendship, on the bonds they have forged and the unity they share. If these humans are anything like ponies in Equestria, than if we can break these bonds, than we should be able to render those girls powerless."_

_"Ah, I see"_ Adagio sounded thoughtful. "_Sunset and the other girls were only able to defeat my sisters and I together. When we had them fighting among themselves, they were powerless to resist us_" She paused. "_But how are we going to turn them against each other? We already know that they are immune to our powers"_

_"**Your** powers, Adagio, not mine. Leave it to me_" Imitae replied, chuckling to herself. "_In the meantime, we need to move fast. When is the next time all the students will be in one place?"_

Adagio thought for a moment, than answered "_The Halloween Dance, tomorrow night. Aria told me that almost all the students and faculty are planning to attend."_

"_Excellent_" Imitae sounded satisfied. "_Once I'm done, Twilight's friends will be so busy shouting at each other, they'll be unable to assist her in any way. And once we take control of everyone at the dance, we'll use our new followers to make things so miserable for Twilight here, that she'll never want to come back. She'll flee back to Equestria in tears, y__ou'll have the admiration you've always wanted, and I'll finally be free!"_

_"Yes! I love it!"_ Adagio exclaimed and both girls voiced dissolved into evil-sounding laughter. Twilight, Sunset, and 'Twilight' glanced up from the speaker and looked at each other, their eyes all wide, their faces mirror images of shock and horror.

"What are we going to do?" 'Twilight' voiced what was on everyone's mind. Sunset and Twilight stared back at her, neither one having an answer.

* * *

**Like I said before, I meant to get this out sooner, but I've been under a lot of personal tension at the moment. Hopefully things will clear up next week once I've finished travelling and gotten back into my settings. **

**It took me a while to write this chapter because I had several different ideas that this story could go from this point and I couldn't decide which way I wanted to travel. **

**BTW: Who here has seen the sneak peek for the Friendship Games? I am really psyched for the movie. I was planning to hav ethis story finished by the premiere day, but I'm guessing that's probably not gonna happen now. Oh Well! :)**

**As always, please read, respond, and review! And stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	21. Chapter 21

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Would you believe this chapter came to me in a dream last night?)**

**CH 21**

"What are we going to do?" 'Twilight asked again, glancing from Twilight to Sunset, as if hoping one of them would suddenly come up with a brilliant plan like Imitae seemed to. Neither girl answered her at first

"So" Twilight finally spoke up. "Imitae is using Adagio's siren power to control the students _for_ her. That actually makes sense. Even back at my brother's wedding, Chrysalis was only controlling Shining Armor with her magic, not everypony else. Imitae must be doing the same thing with Adagio"

"But what about the green eyes?" Sunset asked. "People under a siren's spell don't have green eyes, do they"

"Maybe Imitae's hold over Adagio is tainting Adagio's aura somehow. In theory, that could be possible." Twilight suggested.

Sunset nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense.

"So, you're saying Adagio _did_ get her siren magic back?" 'Twilight' asked nervously.

"It looks that way" Sunset confirmed. "And now Imitae's going to use Adagio's power to take control of everyone during the Halloween Dance."

"We've got to stop them" Twilight affirmed

"But how?" 'Twilight's question made them all ponder for a few minutes.

"I don't know" Twilight answered slowly. "But one thing I _do_ know is that we can't do this alone." She slowly turned to 'Twilight'. "We need to tell the others everything"

Her double's face fell as she realized what Twilight was saying. "Do we have to?" She whined

Twilight nodded firmly. "It's getting too dangerous to keep this masquerade up. Now that we know that Imitae's coming after us, I don't want you putting yourself in danger."

"But if I'm not impersonating you, how else can I help?" 'Twilight asked.

"We'll find another way for you to help" Sunset assured her. "But it's too dangerous for you to continue to pose as Twilight."

"But you yourself said that there can't be two Twilights at Canterlot High" 'Twilight argued. "What will happen if both of us start walking around looking the same?"

"We'll figure something out" Twilight assured her, and 'Twilight eventually sighed and nodded. "And I never said that we had to reveal that there were two of us. Maybe you can play Cadence for a while" She suggested.

"Truthfully, it _would_ be less confusing this way" Sunset agreed, causing the two Twilights to giggle. Sunset rolled her eyes in response.

"Okay, I guess you have a point" 'Twilight' admitted reluctantly. Twilight smiled and reached for her wig, but her double stopped her. "Can we still have a little bit of fun with your friends before we end the deception? I want to see the look on their faces."

Sunset groaned and shook her head. "You're not going to make this easy, are you?"

"Nope" 'Twilight giggled, shaking her head in reply. "So, can I be you for just a _little_ while longer? At least until we've gathered your friends together?"

Twilight pondered, then smiled and nodded. "Just until we find our friends" She said firmly.

"Deal" 'Twilight' nodded and the two shook hands.

"Now that that's taken care of, we need to gather the rest of the Rainbooms. They're probably wondering where we are by now" Sunset pointed out, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. After sending a few texts, she placed it back in her pocket. "I've told everyone to meet in the music room."

"Let's go" Twilight and Sunset leapt to their feet. After placing the speaker back into its case, 'Twilight' followed suit and the three girls left the classroom.

"I hope your friends won't be angry with me" 'Twilight worried aloud as the three girls walked quickly down the hall.

"I'm sure they'll understand." Sunset assured her as they turned a corner, but as they did, Sunset noticed a frown on Twilight's face. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not quite sure" Twilight said slowly. "It's something Imitae said. "I'll finally be free". What could she have meant by that?"

"It sounds like she would rather stay here than go back to Equestria" 'Twilight' suggested. "I mean, _you_ did, right?" She glanced at Sunset Shimmer, which caused her to not watch where she was going, which caused her to smack straight into a tall man with black hair wearing a brown sweater and maroon trousers. As 'Twilight' staggered backwards, the man turned around, a frown on his face his eyes flashing.

"Professor Doodle. Sorry about that!" Sunset tried to intervene but the man framed her with a glare.

"You." He grunted, turning back to 'Twilight'. "Come with me" With that, he turned and began walking away. 'Twilight' glanced nervously at the others, unsure if she should follow or not. "Now" Professor Doodle growled when he noticed that she wasn't following. 'Twilight' cringed and shot a futile glance at Sunset, who nodded slowly. Still looking nervous, 'Twilight' turned and followed the grumpy teacher away.

"What are you doing?" Twilight demanded once the professor was out of earshot. "We shouldn't split up now! What if Imitae grabs her?"

"Trust me, Twilight. She'll be safe. Professor Doodle may seem grumpy, but he really cares about the students. He won't let anything happen to her" Sunset assured her.

"I hope you're right" Twilight mused as she followed Sunset down the hall.

* * *

"Where are you taking me, Professor Doodle?" 'Twilight' asked as she followed the teacher into a darkened hallway. It seemed like they had been walking for at least half an hour and there were no other students around. The lights spluttered and sparked, throwing shadows onto the walls. "P-professor?" She asked again. The man didn't answer, but suddenly he spun around and glared at her, his eyes glowing a sickly green. 'Twilight' gasped and darted backwards, but ran into Flash Sentry, who stood there crossing his arms blocking the hallway. One by one, several more students appeared out of the shadows, surrounding 'Twilight' with a wall of glowing green eyes. 'Twilight' glanced from person to person, feeling more nervous by the second. "W-what's going on?" She stammered.

"Relax Twilight. We're just taking care of something" The wall of students parted and Adagio stepped into the circle, smiling wickedly, her eyes flashing a pale green.

_Adagio has green eyes?_ 'Twilight' felt her own widen as realization struck her. _That means Twilight was right!_ "W-what do you want from me?" She asked, taking a step backwards.

"Me? Oh, nothing" Adagio's smile seemed to grow as she spoke. "My friend, on the other hand..." Adagio stepped to the side as another girl stepped into the circle. A girl with red hair wearing a black skirt and a hooded sweatshirt, a girl who looked very familiar.

"Hello Twilight, remember me?" The girl snapped, and 'Twilight' felt her memory click. This was the same girl that had knocked her down the other day, and then stepped on her scanner! 'Twilight' felt her fear melt away, being replaced by anger. As she thought back to what she had overheard on the speaker, she got even angrier.

"Yeah. I remember you...Imitae!" She spat bitterly, throwing the girl the fiercest glare she could.

'Twilight' was rewarded by the look of surprise that flashed between Adagio and the redhead. "So, you figured it out" Imitae purred, smiling sweetly.

Realizing it was too late to back down now 'Twilight' nodded curtly. "Honestly, it wasn't that difficult." She bragged, trying to sound confident. But inside her head, her mind was racing. Her eyes darted around, searching for a way out, and finding none.

"Well, it doesn't matter now" Adagio chuckled, then snapped her fingers. 'Twilight felt strong hands grab her, wrestling her to the ground. She opened her mouth to yell, but a cloth descended from out of nowhere and clamped over her mouth, blocking her scream. "Don't bother struggling. No one comes down here anymore, which is why no one will ever think to find you here." Adagio boasted. 'Twilight screamed through her gag. Adagio knelt down and tilted an ear froward. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" 'Twilight' screamed again, and struggled to break the grip of her captors as she was hauled to her feet.

"I'll leave her to you." Imitae nodded to Adagio, then she turned and walked away.

"Lock her up!" Adagio snapped her fingers and 'Twilight' was hauled away, still screaming through her gag.

* * *

"Where is she?" Sunset asked, glancing down the hallway. After sending the other girls a text that she would be delayed, both girls headed to the classroom Professor Doodle usually taught at, but the room was empty.

Twilight frowned. "Something's wrong. I can feel it"

Sunset nodded grimly. "You wanna try calling her?" She nodded to Twilight's bracelet. Just then, Sunset's cell phone buzzed. She picked it up and a smile flickered across her face. "Rainbow Dash is wondering where we are" She reported.

"I'll go look for Twilight, you go start explaining. I'll join you when I can." Twilight instructed.

"Right. Good luck" Sunset turned and trotted away.

Twilight, after glancing to make sure no one was watching, pressed the hidden button on the bracelet and raised it to her lips. "Twilight, can you hear me? Where are you?" She whispered.

* * *

"_Twilight, can you hear me? Where are you?" _ 'Twilight' jumped as she heard Twilight's voice enter her head. She glanced around, half expecting her to appear of of thin air. Then she remembered the earpiece. Glancing at her bracelet, she began to slowly twist her hand until the side with the button was facing away from her, then she lunged sideways. As she expected, this caught her captors by surprise and her wrist collided with Diamond Tiara's side. She heard a click in her ear, then she screamed as loud as she could.

* * *

"Aahh!" Twilight jumped backwards as 'Twilight's scream rang in her head. She clawed at her ear, trying to pull out the earpiece, but it seemed stuck.

"Are you okay?" A passing student asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Twilight replied in her 'Cadence' voice, smiling at the girl as the screams suddenly cut off. Once the puzzled student had moved on, Twilight gingerly tapped the earpiece, then pressed the button again. "Twilight, are you okay?" There was no reply. "Twilight, can you hear me?" She spoke a little louder, but there was still no reply. She started walking, gingerly tapping the earpiece. "I hope this isn't broken..."

There was suddenly a click and Twilight heard another muffled scream, followed by the sound of something being dragged, then there was another click and the sound cut out.

"Screaming? Why would she be screaming? Unless..." Twilight stopped dead, her eyes wide as a horrible thought lanced through her mind like a bolt of lightning. "Oh no!" She spun around and began running down the hall.

* * *

Sunset opened the door to the music room and saw the rest of the Rainbooms sitting on the risers in the back of the room, along with Aria and Sonata.

"Hi Sunset! Did you find Cadence?" Pinkie called as she came in.

Sunset didn't reply. She just set Twilight's bag down and slowly walked towards the other girls.

"Sunset? Darling, whatever is the matter?" Rarity asked, noticing Sunset's sullen mood.

Sunset sighed and took a seat on the floor in front of the other girls. "I've gotta tell you girls something" She confessed.

* * *

**And that's enough for right now! Do I know how to pick cliffhanger endings or what?**

**I don't have much to say right now because I'm 'in the zone'. Be on the lookout for the next chapter soon!**

**Until next time! **


	22. Chapter 22

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(I think this chapter has been simmering long enough! Here you go!)**

**CH 22**

"Tell us what?" Fluttershy asked, raising an eyebrow as she gazed at Sunset.

"Well..." Sunset paused, unsure of where to start. "Do you remember the rogue changeling that Twilight was talking about?"

"The one she was dealing with before she came here?" Pinkie guessed.

Sunset nodded. "Her name is Imitae, and that changeling is actually part of the reason _why_ Twilight came back to Canterlot High"

The other girls looked at each other, confusion clear among them. "I don't think we follow ya, sugercube." Applejack adjusted the brim of her hat as she spoke.

Sunset took a deep breath. "You see..." Suddenly the music room door burst open with a bang, making everyone jump. Twilight stood in the doorway, panting.

"Hi Cadence!" Sonata called, waving her hand gaily.

Ignoring the other girls Twilight looked directly at Sunset and exclaimed "They've got Twilight!"

Sunset gasped, her face a mask of horror "What? Are you sure?" Twilight nodded grimly.

"What are you talking a...?" Rainbow Dash started to ask, but before she could say anything, Sunset's backpack wobbled violently and toppled to the ground, bursting open. Spike spilled out from inside the bag, glancing around wildly. "Twilight's been captured? How long ago? Where d-?" Spike froze when he saw Twilight standing there, then cocked his head, looking somewhat confused. "Wait, but...you're here, so why would you say that you were...?" Twilight frowned at Spike, who glanced around again and suddenly seemed to notice all the other girls staring at him. "Oh. Uh...never mind! Heh Heh!" Spike laughed nervously and shuffled on his four feet.

Sunset, meanwhile, had risen to her feet and rushed over to Twilight. "Are you sure?" She repeated in a low voice.

Twilight nodded, tapping her ear. "I heard her screaming over the communicators, why else would she be doing that unless something had happened?"

Sunset frowned. "Oh great!" She muttered darkly.

"I don't know about you girls" Both Twilight and Sunset winced at Pinkie Pie's tone, turning they saw the cotton-candy haired girl had risen to her feet and was staring at them with narrowed eyes. "But I'm starting to get the feeling these two already know each other!"

"And I'm startin' ta get the feelin' there's somethin' these two ain't tellin' the rest of us" Applejack added, crossing her arms and narrowing _her_ eyes.

Twilight and Sunset exchanged glances, each looking guilty. But before they could speak, Rainbow Dash leapt to her feet. "Forget that! Didn't you hear what Cadence just said?" She exclaimed. "Twilight's in trouble! We've gotta go help her"

"Hang on, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight stepped forward, her hands raised in a calming gesture. "There's something you need to know first!"

"Not now Cadence, we need to go find Twilight!" Rarity leapt to her feet.

"No. You don't need to do that" Twilight said, the firmness in her voice making Rarity pause.

"I _beg_ your pardon!" Rarity exclaimed, staring at Cadence with her mouth open. "Are you saying we _shouldn't_ go looking for her?"

"Yes, because I'm..." Twilight started to say but was interrupted.

"Do you know anything about what happened to Twilight?" Aria pressed

"Yes I do" Twilight admitted "But that's not the..."

"Are _you_ the one responsible for what happened to Twilight?" Rainbow Dash accused, darting forwards until she and Twilight were nose to nose

Twilight gave an angry gasp. "No! Of course not! But I need to..."

"Leave her alone Rainbow Dash! Accusing her ain't gonna get Twilight back" Applejack chided, placing a firm hand on the girl's shoulder and pulling her back hard enough for the girl to glare at her.

"But you _do_ know what happened to Princess Twilight, right?" Rainbow Dash turned back to Twilight, who slowly nodded, suddenly feeling nervous. Even though she knew that this had to happen at some point, it didn't help erase the feelings of dread that were swirling inside her.

Twilight nervousness must have showed because Fluttershy rose to her feet, and closed her hands over one of Twilight's. "It's okay if you feel scared, but you can tell us. I promise, we won't blame you for anything." She smiled a friendly smile. "After all, friends should be able to tell friends anything. And we consider you a friend. At least, I do" Fluttershy glanced towards the other girls, as if seeking support.

"Of course, we all do" Rarity purred. "Any girl with such exquisite fashion sense is a friend of mine" Twilight felt a smile come over her face at those words as she saw Spike clap a paw over his mouth to smother the laughter that seemed to be rising from his throat. Some of her doubt began to leave her. Fluttershy was right. She could tell them. They'd understand, hopefully.

"Truth is, we haven't exactly been honest with you either, Miss Cadence" Applejack admitted, lowering her gaze to the floor.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but Rainbow Dash held her hand up. "Applejack's right. I'm sorry I accused you like that. It's just...well, Twilight isn't who you think she is"

Twilight decided to keep playing along, hoping to ease her way into the revelation. She cocked her head, pretending to look confused. "What do you mean by that?" She asked, causing Sunset shimmer to roll her eyes.

"The truth is..." Applejack started.

"The truth is that Twilight Sparkle is really a pretty purple pony princess that lives in the magical world of Equestria. She's been here twice before and whenever she does come here it's usually because of some magical trouble that has come over from Equestria. The first time she came over was because of Sunset Shimmer, who is also from Equestria, she's a unicorn you see, and she stole Twilight's crown to use its magic to try to enslave all the students to form a magical army to rule over Equestria. The second time she came over was when Adagio, Aria, and Sonata, who are sirens, also from Equestria, tried to feed off the misery and despair of the students here by turning everyone against each other. Now Twilight's come back, which probably means that there's another evil force from Equestria looming here and we need to find her so we can help her stop it." Pinkie Pie explained before pausing to take a deep breath.

"Thanks for bringing that up" Aria growled darkly and Sonata looked down at the floor, embarrassed.

"No problem!" Pinkie Pie chirped, smiling. "Oh, and Spike's a fire breathing dragon, also from Equestria" She quickly added before beaming in a silly sort of way.

"Well, anyway, now you know the truth" Applejack turned back to Twilight, also looking a little embarrassed. "Sorry we had to keep it from you, but we felt the fewer keeping that secret, the better"

"So, was that why you kept asking me to leave the room during the sleepover? Because you didn't want me knowing that?" Twilight pressed, causing Sunset to groan. Twilight bit her tongue to keep herself from smiling. The other girls looked guilty, but eventually they nodded.

"We hope you can forgive us, darling. But now you know why we have to find Princess Twilight." Rarity added.

"It's alright, I understand" Twilight nodded, then glanced at Sunset and Spike before continuing. "I just hope...that you can forgive me"

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked as Twilight slid her hand out from hers and took a step back.

"What I mean is...you don't have to go far to find Princess Twilight" Twilight confessed, also looking at the floor.

"Huh?" The girls all glanced at each other before they all looked back at Twilight, their faces full of confusion, except for Spike and Sunset, who both looked eager.

Twilight took a deep breath. _It's now or never!_ Slowly, she reached up and felt along the edge of her wig. Grabbing the base of the material, she pulled up, causing the pink-and-white wig to come loose from her head. As it came off, she reached up with her other hand and pulled out the pins she was using to keep her hair in a tight bun. She shook her head, causing her purple-and-magenta hair to fan out behind her freely. "I'm right here" She announced in her own voice, to a chorus of gasps.

* * *

At that moment, 'Twilight' was slowly waking up. She felt a cool gritty surface resting against her cheek and she smelled what seemed like cleaning solution. She felt dizzy gave a muffled groan, then froze as her tongue tasted something that _didn't_ taste like the inside of her mouth, it tasted like cloth.

Snapping her eyes open, she glanced around and saw she was in a small dark room lit only by a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. She spotted a few buckets and mops in the corners around her and realized she must be in a closet. She tried to move, but felt resistance. Glancing down, she saw that her arms and legs were bound by strong rope. "MMMM!" She groaned as she began struggling harder against her bonds, but the ropes wouldn't give.

Suddenly, she head a clicking sound and the door swung open. Blinking rapidly in the sudden halo of light, 'Twilight' saw Imitae standing in the doorway. "MMM!" She growled, struggling unsuccessfully to push out her gag with her tongue.

"Comfy, Twilight Sparkle?" Imitae joked, smiling.

"MMMM!" 'Twilight' shrilled, struggling even harder to free herself.

Imitae's grin faded and she knelt down to look 'Twilight' in the eye. "Don't bother, those knots are strong enough to hold you, and I'd rather not see you get hurt"

'Twilight' paused in her struggling and gave Imitae a confused look. Imitae chuckled, and smiled again. "I just want you to know that this isn't personal. I hold no grudge against you, and I wish there was another way. But I _cannot_ let you take me back to Equestria. And without this trinket..." She fingered the stone around her neck. "I have no way of protecting myself." She straightened up, and glanced around, taking in her prisoner's surroundings. "I know these aren't the best accommodations, but don't worry. You won't be here for very long" 'Twilight' cocked her head and gave a confused grunt. Imitae chuckled, then closed her eyes and muttered something illegible. The Star Stone glowed dimly and before 'Twilight's eyes, Imitae began to change. Her red hair turned purple, her face, which had been gold, turned lavender and her eyes turned violet. 'Twilight's eyes widened and a muffled gasp escaped her as Imitae morphed into a version of herself.

"Well? how do I look?" Imitae asked, in Twilight's voice. 'Twilight''s eyes widened, then she shrilled behind her gag and began straining against her ropes with renewed vigor. Imitae laughed, her voice perfect replica of 'Twilight's. "Don't worry Twilight, I'm only borrowing your appearance for a little while, just long enough to make sure you never, _ever_ come to this world again. Ta ta!" With that, Imitae turned and sailed through the door, ignoring 'Twilight's ever-increasing volume of muffled protests. She shut the door behind her and there was the sound of a key in the lock and then of retreating footsteps along with a faint laugh. 'Twilight' sighed, closing her eyes, and took her finger off the hidden transmitting button in her bracelet.

* * *

**So, the big reveal has happened. What's gonna happen next? Stay tuned to find out!**

**I've been struggling all week to get this chapter finished. Why is it whenever I have free time I can;t focus, but while I'm working this is all I want to think about? **

**Oh well! As always, please let me know what you think! **


	23. Chapter 23

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(I suppose you'd like another chapter? Well, here you go)**

**CH 23**

_"_I KNEW IT!" Twilight winced as Pinkie Pie started jumping up and down on a riser, pointing at Twilight with one hand. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING FAMILIAR ABOUT HER! I KNEW IT!" She kept ranting until Applejack reached up and shushed her.

"Twilight? I-is that really you?" Rainbow Dash asked aloud, stepping forward slowly.

Twilight nodded. "Yes. It is" She assured them, but no one aside from Pinkie Pie looked convinced.

Spike stepped up to Twilight, then turned to face them. "It's really her. Trust me, I can tell" He smiled at that last statement, causing Twilight to frown at him.

"No offense Twilight, but you look kinda weird with a pink face!" Pinkie giggled.

"Thank you Pinkie" Twilight smiled in reply while Sunset and Spike chuckled.

"But Twilight, why on earth are you running around dressed as Cadence?" Rarity asked, her eyes narrowing as she took in Twilight's outfit and the makeup on her face. "If she finds out about this, I don't think she'll be very..."

Twilight shook her head, interrupting Rarity. "There _never was_ a Cadence, Rarity. It's been me the whole time"

"But that can't be" Applejack looked confused. "We've all seen you and Cadence next to each other more than once. How could you _be_ Cadence, and still be standing next to... to yourself?" The girl lifted her hat and scratched her head, her confused look mirrored by almost everyone in the room.

Twilight tuned and gave Sunset a scolding look. "You haven't _told_ them yet?" She asked

"I was about to" Sunset replied, a smile creeping across her face "Until _somebody_ interrupted us" She added, making Twilight laugh.

"Wait, Sunset, you _knew_ about this?" Rainbow Dash looked betrayed.

"Of course I knew about it, I helped come up with this look" Sunset gestured to Twilight's clothing.

"I have to say, your school's drama department has some comfortable clothing." Twilight added, laughing as she watched Rarity's jaw drop before she spluttered something unintelligible.

"AHA!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, startling everyone. "I _knew_ I'd seen that skirt before!"

Twilight made to answer, but suddenly everyone heard the sound of the music room door opening. In one smooth motion, Twilight jammed her white wig back on her head as she turned around. Principle Celestia was standing in the doorway. "I thought I heard someone shouting in here" She glanced around, looking a little annoyed and concerned.

"You did!" Pinkie smiled, but Celestia did not smile back. She scanned the room again and her gaze fell on Twilight, had just tucked in a few stray purple hairs. She raised an eyebrow and Twilight felt herself slip into a more submissive posture, head pointed down and arms clasped in front of her.

"Oh, Principle Celestia, I don't think you've met Cadence yet" Sunset said, nudging Twilight, who stepped forward.

Celestia's gaze softened. "No...I don't believe I have, though I did hear you were visiting" She smiled and stepped forward with her hand extended. "Welcome to Canterlot High"

"Th-thank you for having me" Twilight replied in her Cadence voice, shyly shaking Celestia's hand, trying to ignore the muffled giggles and snorts that were breaking out behind her. "I've really enjoyed my time here so far. And your students have all been so very welcoming" She glanced over her shoulder at the other girls, who were either staring wide eyed, or trying to keep a straight face. "I already feel like I've made a lot of friends here"

Celestia's smile widened. "I'm glad to hear that. These girls in particular are known for being good role models of friendship." Suddenly a chirping noise came from Celestia's pocket. She pulled out her phone and frowned. "I'm sorry, but I have a meeting to get to. Enjoy the rest of your time at Canterlot high Cadence" With that, Celestia turned and quickly strode from the room, shutting the door behind her.

The moment the door shut, Pinkie Pie, Sonata, and Rainbow Dash started howling with laughter. Sunset, Spike and Fluttershy laughed as well, but not so loud, and even Aria chuckled. Rarity, and Applejack were staring at Twilight with wide eyes. "What?" Twilight asked in her own voice as she faced them.

"Wow! That was a great act, Twilight!" Sonata gasped between bouts of laughter. "You should totally join the Dramas!"

"I hate to agree with Sonata on anything" Aria added, smiling. "But she's right, you _are_ a good actress"

Rarity huffed. "Well, as funny as that was..." She paused and a small smile appeared on her face. "It still doesn't explain why you're doing this"

"I think we'd all like to know the reason behind this here masquerade" Applejack added. Everyone looked at Twilight and Sunset, who exchanged glances.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but then she heard a click in her ear, followed by voices. Twilight motioned to her ear, Sunset nodded and stepped forward as Twilight turned away.

"So, as I was saying before Twilight came in..." Sunset explained, ignoring everyone's confused looks. "The reason Twilight is here, and the reason she's in disguise, is because she believes that rogue changeling she told you about, Imitae, is also here"

"What?" Aria exclaimed, no longer smiling. "There's a changeling, _here_?" Next to her, Sonata gave a dramatic gasp.

Sunset nodded. "Remember when Twilight first appeared at CHS during the soccer game, she didn't seem to recognize me or any of us? Well, it turns out _that_ Twilight wasn't our Twilight, since our Twilight was still in Equestria at that time"

Aria's gaze hardened. "So the changeling's taken on Twilight's appearance" She growled.

"No!" Rarity gasped in disbelief, while Fluttershy covered her mouth, looking horrified.

Sunset shook her head. "We thought that at first, but do you remember when we first saw Twilight, how she was wearing glasses?"

"Oh yeah" Pinkie Pie reasoned. "Twilight doesn't wear glasses. I thought that was strange"

"And neither do changelings" Aria added "As far as we know of, anyway" Sonata nodded in agreement.

"But how else can there be two Twilights?" Applejack asked, still scratching her head.

"Well, it seems that this world is a mirror version of Equestria, and every pony in Equestria has a human counterpart here" Sunset explained.

"So... you're saying that the Twilight we've been hanging out with...is _our world's_ Twilight?" Rainbow Dash gasped as realization struck her, an action mirrored by almost everyone else.

"No wonder she always looked so confused when we were talking about Equestria!" Applejack exclaimed. "She probably had no idea what we were sayin'!"

"But wait a minute" Fluttershy suddenly frowned. "Remember it was Twilight who told us about Imitae during the sleepover. It that was our world's Twilight, how could she have possibly known about that?"

"Because that was actually me" Twilight replied, as she rejoined the group. Everyone looked at her. "I forgot to mention. I switched places with 'Twilight' at the sleepover last night. When Cadence left the party, that was really this world's Twilight. Then we switched placed again this morning after we arrived at school." As Twilight spoke, she tugged the neckline of the sweatshirt she was wearing, which made Rarity gasp suddenly.

"Wait! I remember that sweatshirt! The hooded figure were were chasing this morning!" She exclaimed. "Don't tell me that was..."

Twilight nodded and both Rarity and Rainbow Dash groaned in annoyance. Applejack however, slowly smiled. "I gotta say, that's quite the act you two pulled on us"

"But if you're Cadence, and Twilight is from this world, then where's Imitae?" Fluttershy asked. "Is she even here?"

Twilight sighed and looked down, biting her lip. "Oh she's here. And she's using the Star Stone's power to control various people in the school, like Flash Sentry, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon..." She paused and gazed at the sirens before adding "and Adagio."

Aria and Sonata both stiffened, their faces expressing shock and horror. "What?" Aria finally gasped.

"Ha! I told you!" Sonata suddenly exclaimed, turning to Aria with a triumphant smirk on her face. "I told you Adagio would never do anything like that to us intentionally! I knew it!"

"And _how_ is _this_ any better?" Aria snapped back, causing Sonata to freeze and her smile to fade

"Oh, yeah" She mused, suddenly sounding very gloomy and her gaze fell to the floor. She bit her lip, which was quivering.

"Imitae's also just captured my human counterpart and I think she's planning to use Adagio's siren powers to take control of every student at CHS during the Halloween dance." Twilight revealed.

"How do you know that?"

Twilight tapped her ear. "When we switched places this morning, she gave me an earpiece that we could use to communicate with each other without anyone else hearing us. We just tapped our bracelets and whispered questions to each other"

"So, _that's_ why she was always muttering like that!" Rarity exclaimed.

"Was it that obvious?" Sunset asked. "I thought only I noticed.

Rarity shrugged. "Only if you were really observant" She admitted.

"The microphones in our bracelets also let us listen to what is being said around us. For example, when we were in the cafeteria, I was able to overhear your conversation. And I overheard Imitae talking with my double just now. That' how I know that she's planning to use Adagio's powers at the dance."

"But, I thought the sirens lost their powers when we defeated them." Applejack reasoned. "No offense" She added glancing apologetically at Aria, who nodded curtly.

"They did, but the Star Stone was able to restore Adagio's abilities." Twilight answered. The sirens perked up at this, and there was an almost hungry look in their eyes that made Twilight feel uneasy.

"But why would Imitae want to _do_ this?" Rarity asked aloud.

"Because, as you did earlier, Imitae thinks the other Twilight is me" Twilight confessed. "For some reason, she doesn't want to go back to Equestria, and she's worried that I'll drag her back there after I get the Star Stone

"Will you?" Fluttershy asked nervously.

Twilight opened her mouth, then paused. "You know, I'm really not sure." She admitted. "My prime objective is to retrieve the Star Stone. I'd always assumed that I would bring Imitae back in addition. But if she really wants to stay here..."

Rainbow snorted. "After the way she's been acting? Taking control of students, turning Adagio against her sisters, kidnapping our world's Twilight! Why would we want her here?"

"You really know how to jump to conclusions, don't you Dash?" Sunset commented. Everyone glanced at her, prompting her to continue. "Think about what I did at the Fall Formal, and what the sirens did at the Battle of the Bands, and look at us now" She gestured to everyone, who was sitting together. "We were all enemies at one point, and you didn't my actions stop you from befriending me. And despite what the sirens did, I'd be honored to consider them my friends."

"Y-you would?" Sonata wiped something from one of her eyes as she spoke.

"Yes. I would" Sunset replied, the sincerity in her face and voice all too clear. "I also think there's more to Imitae's actions than what we're seeing. Maybe there's another reason why she's doing this. I just feel that judging her without knowing all the facts would be wrong."

"I dunno. Seems pretty cut and dry to me." Applejack argued.

"It seems like typical changeling behavior to me" Spike added.

"Maybe not" Aria, who had been thoughtfully pondering this whole time, suddenly spoke up. "You said Imitae was a regular changeling, _not_ a queen, correct?" She asked Twilight, who nodded. "Well, if I remember correctly, individual changelings aren't supposed to have personal identities"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Sonata's face brightened. "They're supposed to act like drones. Any changeling that gets an identity is usually banished from their hive!"

"So your saying that Imitae was outcast from her own kind?" Spike asked in disbelief.

"It's possible" Aria nodded.

"I know what that feels like" Sunset muttered, shaking her head.

"Okay, so she's an outcast" Rainbow huffed. "That still doesn't give her the right to do what she's done!"

"Well, maybe she's just scared" Pinkie piped up. "Maybe she thinks that other changelings will come through the portal after her"

Twilight suddenly gasped so loudly that everyone froze. Her eyes lit up and a smile beamed across her face. "Pinkie, you're a genius!" She exclaimed.

Pinkie smiled as she shook her head. "No I'm not. I'm a human, remember?"

Ignoring that, Twilight turned to the others. "I've got an idea how we can rescue the human Twilight" She announced. "Listen carefully"

* * *

**First off, can I just say, the Friendship games film- LOVED IT! Probably the best EG film so far!**

**My apologies to Webbowriter and my other commentators for 'killing you with suspense', but what can I say? I Like Cliffhangers! **

**Also, to answer Autumn Barclay's question about why Imitae is controlling Flash Sentry, my response is: what do you think? **

**I'd meant to get this out sooner, but I've been seriously caught up in work and planning the ending of this story. I've got some exciting scenes planned for the finale of this story, including what may be some epic action scenes, so don't go away! The end is in sight! **


	24. Chapter 24

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Here we are again! And here we go again! Enjoy!)**

**CH 24**

"Are you sure this is goin' work?" Applejack asked as she stood in the hallway the following morning next to the others Rainbooms in the hallway, minus Sunset Shimmer.

"I agree with Applejack" Fluttershy added, looking more nervous than before. "I don't like the fact we have to do this. Can't we just talk to her?"

"Sweetie, you know we can't do that" Rarity answered, primping herself in the mirror. "We talked about it last night at our sleepover at my place."

"But we..." Applejack stopped as Rainbow Dash shook her head.

"Applejack, you know that if we confront Imitae, she'll just deny everything" She reasoned.

"And we need to keep her distracted so the others can rescue the other Twilight, remember?" Pinkie chirped from the other end of the group. "It's gonna be a lot harder to do that if she thinks were on to her"

Applejack opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. Finally she sighed and leaned back against the lockers. "Fine, but I still don't like it" She admitted. "She seemed so happy during the sleepover."

"Yeah, but remember, she was pretending to be our friend, or course she's gonna _look_ happy. But that doesn't mean she was really enjoying herself." Rainbow argued back.

"Oh she was, I could tell" Pinkie assured them.

"I still think this is a bad idea" Fluttershy pouted.

"None of us like it, darling" Rarity soothed. "But you know that we have to keep her eyes on us so she doesn't go looking for Twilight."

"Easier said than done" Applejack snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Oh. I just hope Twilight is okay. Being held against your will is not fun at all, especially at night. Who knows what that changeling has done to her?" Fluttershy shuddered, and from the look on her face, the others could tell she knew what she was talking about.

"Easy Fluttershy. That was a long time ago" Rainbow placed a hand on the pink-haired girl's shoulder, receiving a smile in return.

"Oooh! Heads up, here she comes" Pinkie suddenly lowered her voice. The girls glanced up to see Imitae (in Twilight's form) walking towards them, smiling widely.

"Showtime" Rainbow muttered, then pasted a smile on her face, a move copied by the others, with some difficulty from Applejack and Fluttershy

"Hello everyone. Did I miss anything?" Imitae asked smoothly, glancing from one face to another.

"Oh no, darling. We were just talking about the Halloween Dance happening tonight." Rarity purred, running her fingers through her hair absentmindedly.

"Rarity has offered to make costumes for all of us! Isn't that great?" Pinkie asked.

Imitae smiled, but her smile clearly seemed forced. "Yes. It is. I can't wait to see what you come up with."

"Oh I assure you, It will blow your mind" Rarity smiled mysteriously.

"I'm sure it will" Imitae smiled the same way and made everyone assembled feel a twinge of nerves that they tried not to show.

"Hey, where's Sunset?" Applejack asked, as if just now noticing the flame-haired girl wasn't with them.

"I got a text from her earlier." Rainbow answered. "Something about being 'wrapped up in a sticky situation', whatever that means" She chuckled, but Imitae's smile seemed to falter slightly.

"Oh, look! Here she comes!" Pinkie exclaimed. The group turned to see Sunset approaching them. But there was something different about her. She was walking unevenly, like Twilight had done when she first came through the portal. Her hands were clenched into fists and her hair was slightly disheveled. Her eyes were facing the ground, as if she was focusing solely on the ground in front of her.

"Hey Sunset!" Pinkie called, trying not to laugh, and the girl looked up. Her eyes were no longer bright cyan like they usually were, instead they had a slight greenish tinge to them. She saw a startled look appear on Imitae's face for a second, but the girl quickly regained her composure.

Sunset smiled. "Hi girls" She called, stumbling over to them.

Rainbow burst out laughing. "What are you doing?" She asked between chuckles.

"Oh I'm, uh...just practicing." Sunset gave them a disarming smile, but she saw Imitae raise an eyebrow.

"Practicing for what? The Zombie shuffle?" Rainbow joked, causing everyone else to laugh too.

"Very funny, Rainbow Dash." Sunset smiled. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pinkie slyly slip a small container from her skirt pocket and drop it into Rainbow's hand. Seeing her notice, Pinkie winked and Sunset gave the tiniest of nods.

Pinkie suddenly gasped "Oh, that reminds me! I've gotta go help get the gym ready for the Halloween Dance" Pinkie bounced up and down. "Anybody wanna come?"

"Speaking of tonight, Rarity, can I talk with you about costume ideas?" Sunset glanced at the fashionista hopefully.

Rarity's eye lit up. "Oh, but of course darling" She purred before turning to the others. "Will you excuse us please?" She linked arms with Sunset Shimmer and lead her away. Meanwhile, Pinkie lead Imitae, Applejack, and Fluttershy in the other direction.

* * *

"This way, I think" Twilight announced, glancing down at the scanner as they paused at a crossroads. Trying to ignore the grumbling of the two girls following her, Twilight fiddled with the knobs and started creeping down the left hallway.

"Are you sure?" Aria asked for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

"I'm sure. The human Twilight told me how this worked during lunch. If she's still wearing the transmitter, this will let us find her." Twilight explained.

"But you weren't with her during lunch" Sonata pointed out, looking confused. "When did she tell...?" Sonata broke off as Twilight tapped her ear. "Oh"

Twilight nodded, then paused as the scanner began vibrating. "Hold on a second" She slowed and ran the scanner over a door. The scanner vibrated harder and a tiny beep came from the depths of the device. "Bingo"

"_Basement Level. Staff only"_ Aria read the sign on the door and huffed. "Figures. The basement _would_ be the perfect place to hide something"

"Yeah, or someone" Sonata added. She walked up to the door and reached for the knob, but Twilight reached out an arm to stop her.

"Careful" she warned. "She may not be alone down there. If I were Imitae, I'd leave someone to guard her"

"Well, we know she's only controlling eight people apart from our sister, who do you think it is?" Aria asked.

* * *

'Twilight' grunted and snorted, pushing as hard as she could with her tongue. Her jaws were aching from staying open for so long, but she ignored the pain and continued pushing. Finally, the gag, which had been bound tightly across her mouth, left her jaws and lay flat against her face, covering her mouth and chin.

"Don't bother screaming" 'Twilight' froze as Adagio stepped from the shadows, her glowing green eyes looking ominous in the darkened room. "Or Imitae may think twice about just keeping you down here" She snarled, placing her hands on her hips. 'Twilight' lay still, staring back at the siren with terrified, but defiant eyes. Eventually, Adagio turned and stalked back to her dark corner.

'Twilight' closed her eyes and sighed with relief. "Don't worry" She whispered. "I don't have to scream" She wriggled until her hand could reach her other wrist. She found the bracelet and pressed the button that activated the microphone. "Twilight, can you hear me?"

* * *

As the group walked towards the gym, Rainbow Dash found Imitae walking alongside her.

"So, Rainbow Dash, how have the Rainbooms been doing since I was here last?" Imitae asked, smiling the way Twilight would. Rainbow Dash felt sick hearing her use Twilight's voice, but forced herself to smile back.

"We're doing fine!" She crowed, and felt a flush of pride upon saying so. "But then again, you should know that already. You heard us practicing yesterday"

"Oh, you're right" Imitae quickly corrected herself, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I'm just surprised that there haven't been any internal conflicts since the battle of the bands"

"I'm a little surprised myself" Rainbow Dash admitted. "You know sometimes I can't believe we're still the same group who argued so much among ourselves during that time. Ever since Sunset Shimmer joined our group, it feels like our band might never break apart again"

"_Our_ band?" Imitae repeated, looking confused. "I thought it was _your_ band. After all, the Rainbooms was _your_ idea, right?"

"Right" Rainbow Dash repeated, confused. What was she getting at?

"And why call yourselves the Rainbooms? If it's your band, shouldn't it be called the _Rainbows_?" Imitae pressed.

Rainbow smiled inwardly. _So that's her plan! Okay, I'll play along_. "Nah, I tried to change it once, but Sunset thought Rainbooms had a better ring to it, and I have to agree with her" Rainbow paused as Imitae shook her head. "Twilight, what's up?"

Imitae sighed, then turned to face Rainbow and took her hands in her own. "Rainbow Dash, I hate to say this, but...I'm not sure Sunset can be trusted."

_I trust her more than you right now!_ Rainbow's mind yelled, but she simply coked her head and asked "What do you mean? Back at the Fall Formal, you were among the first to say that we could trust her"

As she expected, Imitae looked confused for a second, but she blinked and the look was gone. "Yes, I said that, but that was because the others were there. Just between you and me though, I still don't trust her."

"Why not?"

Imitae paused, then continued. "Well, think about it. She's always been trouble, right? Extorting here, blackmailing there, and now all of a sudden she's turned good? Kinda strange, don't you think?"

"So, anyone's capable of change, aren't they?" Rainbow Dash deliberately looked confused, seeing if Imitae would act upon it. She did.

"But who's to say that she's actually changed?" Imitae pressed. "They say that an enemy that appears to be peaceful may just be biding its time, waiting for the opponent to let down her guard, before stabbing them in the back. She's done it before, hasn't she?"

_She's good_! Rainbow admitted to herself as unpleasant memories began to play themselves in her head. If she didn't know that this wasn't Twilight, she might have actually been convinced.

"Face it Rainbow, you're more awesome than she, we both know that, but so does she. I'm worried that she'll try to usurp control of the Rainbooms from you. She'll turn the others against you"

"Ha! Like _that's_ gonna happen!" Rainbow cackled, letting her smile spread across her face. "The other girls have known me much longer than her, they've got my back!"

"Are you sure? It's true they've known you longer, long enough to know your strengths, and your flaws. Maybe they don't like those flaws. Maybe they think you've got more flaws than Sunset. I know I probably sound crazy, but I...I'm worried about you, Rainbow Dash. I just...I wish you could see things my way" As Imitae spoke, Rainbow's eyes caught a tiny spark of light around Imitae's neck, where her bow tie was, and she suddenly felt a strange sensation come over her.

"_Listen to her. Just listen to her"_ A voice began repeating over and over inside her mind, almost hypnotically. The voice felt so soothing, so relaxing, that Rainbow felt doubt creep into her mind. Even though it seemed impossible, she suddenly felt that maybe, just maybe, Imitae might actually be right

_BBBZZZTT!_ A low buzzing from Rainbow's pocket broke through the haze that had descended on her mind. Smiling sleepily at Twilight, she pulled out her phone and saw a text message from Sunset Shimmer.

_Ready and waiting!_ it simply said. The picture on the phone's screen showing Sunset and Rainbow rocking out together during a practice session.

As Rainbow read that, her mind suddenly seemed to clear and she frowned. What was she doing? She was the element of Loyalty! She would never betray her friends! Never! Feeling anger wash over her mind, sweeping the mental fog away, she stuffed her phone back into her pocket.

"Rainbow dash, are you alright?" Imitae asked, and that made Rainbow all the angrier, angry that she had almost fallen for Imitae's lies and turned on her friends.

"I need to go." She said simply, and stalked away, leaving Imitae standing there. As she caught up with the others, she shoved her way through them roughly, ignoring their cries of protest.

"What' was _that_ about?" Rarity demanded as she watched the rainbow-haired girl storm away.

"I have no idea" Imitae replied, but no one noticed the smile playing on her face.

* * *

"_Twilight can you hear me?"_ Twilight jumped as her double's voice whispered in her head. She motioned for the others to wait, then tapped the button on her bracelet.

"Yes, I can hear you. Where are you?" She whispered back.

"_In the basement, I think."_

"Are you okay?"

_"I'm fine, just tied up."_

"We're outside the basement door now. Is anyone down there with you?" Twilight asked, as Aria and Sonata gathered around her.

"_Yes. Adagio's down here with me. That's why I have to whisper"_

Twilight glanced up at the sirens with a grim look on her face. "She's down there. And Adagio's down there with her" She reported. Aria and Sonata's faces fell.

"Oh no" Sonata moaned.

"Okay, we need to think of some way to stall Adagio long enough for us to..."

"Let me talk to her" Aria spoke up suddenly, cutting Twilight off.

"What?" Twilight glanced at the siren.

"Let me talk to her" The siren repeated, a determined look on her face. "I still refuse to believe that Adagio would allow herself to be controlled like this"

"But Aria, I already tried that, and you saw what good that did" Sonata protested.

Aria smiled at her sister. "No offense Sonata, but Adagio always thought that you were a little...ditsy. She probably wouldn't have listened to you anyway. But maybe she'll listen to me"

Sonata's jaw dropped, but then she looked thoughtful and sighed. "You're probably right" She admitted.

Aria turned back to Twilight. "Let me try to talk to her. Maybe I can even break her out of the spell she's under."

Twilight was sure it would take more than a heart-to-heart to break the power of the Star Stone, but she finally nodded. "Go for it"

Aria smiled her thanks, then strolled over the the basement door while Twilight and Sonata backed up against the wall, scanning the hallway.

"Clear" Twilight signaled. Aria nodded, grasped the knob, and turned.

* * *

**Why is it that whenever I plan one chapter it always ends up becoming two? Oh well, tell me what you think so far. **

**I've got a lot on my plate this week, but hopefully I can find time over the weekend to upload again. Wish me luck!**


	25. Chapter 25

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(I promised a chapter this weekend and I always try to keep my word. Enjoy!)**

**CH 25**

'Twilight', who had been trying to get more comfortable, froze when she heard the doorknob rattle. Across the room, Adagio's green eyes glowed in the shadows that were concealing her. The doorknob rattled again...and again.

"Hmm...Now who could that be?" Adagio asked aloud as she emerged from the shadows and moved, almost gracefully, towards the door.

* * *

Aria's eyes flashed angrily as she tried the doorknob again, then threw herself against the door. No good, it wouldn't budge.

"Locked" She growled, glancing at her sister, whose face fell.

"I thought as much" Twilight mused. "Even with the others distracting Imitae, we've still got to get through some obstacles.

"_Twilight, if that was you at the door just now, Adagio's coming up the stairs!"_ Twilight winced as her double's voice flooded her ear.

"Adagio's coming up" She warned, glancing at the other sirens

Aria frowned, then started pounding on the door. "Adagio, it's me! Open the door!" She yelled

"What are you doing?" Twilight hissed in alarm, her eyes widening.

"Get out of sight" Aria hissed back. Pounding on the door again, she called out. "I know your down there Adagio, I wanna talk to you!"

Sonata yanked Twilight out of sight as the door opened. Adagio darted through the doorway, closing it behind her. "How did you know where I was?" She asked.

Aria shrugged. "I just...knew" She replied. "But that's not the point. I want my sister back!"

"What are you talking about?" Adagio cocked her head

Aria spluttered angrily. "You know _darn_ well what I'm talking about! Ever since you started hanging around with that changeling, you've gone right back to old ways." Seeing the look of alarm that crossed Adagio's face, Aria folded her arms and continued. "Yeah, I know all about who Mirranda is. You know I can't believe you would let someone like her brainwash you like that!"

Adagio frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about, and frankly, what business is it of yours who I choose to hang out with?"

Aria copied Adagio's frown. "Usually none, but when you hurt Sonata yesterday, it became my concern" Twilight felt Sonata stiffen next to her as she stifled a gasp. "Sure she can be ditzy and obnoxious, but she's our sister, _your_ sister. When we lost our powers, we swore that we would always be there for each other. You remember how nervous Sonata was, how nervous _I_ was? I distinctly remember you saying that we need each other now more than ever. Are you really going to let some changeling magic break apart this sisterhood? Wake up!"

Adagio looked confused during Aria's little speech and Twilight noticed the light in the siren's green eyes start to dim._ Could Aria actually break Imitae's hold over her sister?_ She wondered in amazement.

* * *

"Where's Imitae now?" Sunset asked as she met up with Rainbow Dash inside an empty classroom.

"She should still be with the others." Rainbow Dash answered angrily.

Sunset caught the tone. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Imitae just tried to turn me against you, that's what's wrong!" Dash snorted.

"Oh, I see" Sunset mulled

"The worst part was, she almost did it, too. It was like she forced me to see bad memories of you and I felt my anger rising almost beyond control. In fact, if you hadn't had texted me when you did, I probably would have believed her." Rainbow Dash confessed, looking embarrassed. "But, when I saw your picture on the screen, it was like my head suddenly cleared, and I realized how much I've enjoyed our friendship." She held out her phone, showing Sunset the picture.

Sunset felt a big smile cover her face and her eyes dampened as she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "That...that really means a lot coming from you. Thank you"

Rainbow Dash smiled back. Just then, the classroom door opened and Rarity stormed in, looking annoyed. "Well, _she_ certainly didn't waist any time!" She huffed

"Who?" Sunset asked, even though she had a pretty good idea who Rarity was referring to.

"Imitae" Rarity's frown deepened. "As soon as Rainbow Dash left, she went after Fluttershy next. The girl dashed off a few minutes later in tears, tears that were 100% real, I might add! Then she came after _me_."

"And, what did she tell you?" Sunset frowned.

"I...I'd rather not talk about it" Rarity stammered, a slight blush coming to her cheeks. "The point is, the sooner we stop her, the better!"

"Where is she now?" Rainbow glanced up from her phone

"I told her I wanted to meet with her in a little while to discuss costume ideas, we've got about ten minutes before then." Rarity announced, glancing at the clock above the blackboard.

"Right" Rainbow nodded and slipped her hand into her pocket. Pulling out the small case Pinkie Pie had handed her, she twisted open the top to reveal a pair of green-tinted contact lenses. "We'd better get ready, Rarity" She motioned the girl over. Rarity nodded and pulled a small mirror out of her purse, followed by a second case.

"Allow me" She offered, walking over to help Rainbow. Meanwhile, Sunset move over to the classroom door and peeked out into the hallway. Her eyes widened as she saw Imitae standing at the end of the hallway, speaking to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who were standing at attention like soldiers, or robots. Sunset felt a shudder pass through her.

"Hold still" Rarity's voice made Sunset glance around in time to see Rainbow Dash yelp and leap away from Rarity, shaking her head rapidly.

"Are you okay?" Sunset asked, trying to smother her chuckle. Rainbow Dash glanced her direction, one eye red, the other eye green, both eyes blinking rapidly, her face frozen in a grimace of uneasiness and disgust.

"_Really_, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity tutted from behind the girl, both of her eyes already green. "If you'd just sit still for _two_ seconds...!"

"Sorry, but I've never worn contacts before, they feel weird!" The blue-skinned girl complained, still blinking rapidly as Rarity closed in with the second lens.

Shaking her head, Sunset turned back to peek through the door, just in time to see that Imitae had disappeared and her two minions were walking down the hallway in her direction. "They're coming! You two ready?" She glanced back at her friends and two sets of green eyes stared back at her. They nodded. Sunset smiled back, then peaked through the doorway again, raising her hand. When Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were just passing the door, she dropped it. There was a loud thud from behind her, followed by an unearthly hissing. Sunset whirled away from the door to find Rarity on the ground, hissing in pain.

"What are you doing you fool?" Sunset exclaimed in a hiss-like voice. "Are you trying to get us caught?"

"Apologiezz my queen" Rarity moaned in reply in a similar tone, deliberately drawing out her S's. "Thizz one izz not uzzed to thizz new form"

"Silence!" Sunset snapped angrily and both girls jumped visibly jumped. Sunset gave an apologetic smile and the Rarity nodded, smiling as well. "You are a disgrace to all changelings!" Sunset hissed, glancing at Raindow Dash, who gave a subtle glance towards the door, and nodded.

"Thizzz one izz zzorry, my queen" Rarity whined, grabbing two desks in an dramatic effort to stand up, her legs shaking.

"I do not want apologies, I want results! Results you have failed to give me!" Sunset spat angrily, but was unable to keep a smile off of her face. Glancing at Rainbow Dash, she continued. "You have been unable to find me the traitor"

"Apologiezz my queen" Rainbow Spoke up, also drawing out her S's. "But we did not anticipate the prezzence of Twilight ZZparkle in thizz world. Zzhe hazz encountered out kind before"

Sunset huffed and stamped in frustration. "True, which means that we must remove her before we can continue our search for the traitor"

"When zhall we prozeed, my queen?" Rainbow buzzed, trying not to look at Rarity, who was walking between the desks like her legs had turned to rubber.

"The rest of Twilight's friends should have been replaced by now" Sunset spoke clearly. "We wait until the school is finished, then we imprison her with the others. I will assume her form myself. Another can take this form." She gestured to herself, causing Rarity and Rainbow Dash to stifle chuckles. Sunset shot them a warning glare. "Once Twilight is dealt with, we can focus on finding where the traitor is hiding."

"And when we have found Imitae, what zzhall...?" Rainbow Dash began, but Sunset cut her off.

"I TOLD YOU! Never mention the traitor's chosen name _in my presence_!" She screeched, clenched her fists and made them shake in anger, holding them up in full view of everyone.

"Forgivnezz, my queen" Rainbow Dash quickly knelt on the floor. "Thizz one hazz forgotten the price of betrayal"

"As has Imitae" Sunset gave a dramatic shudder as she spoke. "But when I find her, I will teach her exactly what that price is. She cannot be allowed to escape, she..."

"Spiezz!" Rarity, who had been shrinking backwards at Sunset's 'outburst', suddenly screamed. "Spiezz, my queen! Listening to uzzz!" She pointed at the classroom door. Sunset whirled around in time to see two figures, who had been peeking through the glass, duck out of sight. Hissing in anger, Sunset strode to the door, yanked it open, glanced out into the hall. As the bell had gone off a few minutes ago, the hallway was fairly crowded with students, many of whom were already wearing their Halloween costumes. Sunset saw a firefighter speaking with a ladybug, and a pirate, while a werewolf, a vampire, and a zombie darted around making spooky noises. She _also_ saw the backs of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon hurrying away down the hall, moving _very_ quickly.

Turning back to the girls, who were trying, and failing, to keep straight faces, Sunset announced "They're gone"

As soon as she spoke, it was like a dam broke, all three girls burst out laughing.

"That...that was hillarious!" Rarity exclaimed, clutching the desks for support as she chuckled.

"I'll say, especially when Sunset went all 'queen bee' on us!" Rainbow added, laughing so hard she practically fell over.

"I know, I was actually scared for a few seconds there!" Rarity replied, making the twosome laugh harder. "I thought for a second the old Sunset had come back, I...oh, oops!" At the mention of 'old Sunset', Sunset Shimmer had stopped laughing. "Sorry!" Rarity seemed to shrink under the girl's gaze.

Sunset shook her head, the smile creeping back onto her face. "It's fine. Besides, with drones like you two, it's easy to play a queen. Especially with your acting, Rarity"

"I _beg_ your pardon!" Rarity exclaimed, but Rainbow started laughing again.

"She's got a point, Rarity. Can you say 'overdramatic'?" She teased.

"For your information, I believe in putting my heart of soul into a performance." Rarity flushed slightly as she spoke. "Not that _you_ would understand. When was the last time _you_ were on a stage?"

"Okay, cool it, you two" Sunset cut in, pulling her phone from her pocket and sending a text. "We'd better go meet up with the others." Still smiling, she headed outside, only to almost walk directly into a hooded figure with glowing white eyes who was standing on the other side of the door. "Whaaa!" Sunset exclaimed, jumping back in surprise. Behind her, Rarity and Rainbow Dash froze, all laughter wiped from their faces.

The figure paused, staring at them, then raised a hand in an apologetic gesture. "Oh I'm sorry, did I scare you?" A familiar voice asked.

"V-vice principle Luna?" Rarity asked as the woman lowered her hood. "Wow, we had no idea that was you! Impressive costume!"

Luna smiled as she nodded, removing a pair of dark goggles she was wearing with small pocket-lights taped to each side. "Thank you, and I'm sorry for startling you, but I thought I heard noises coming from in here. Care to tell me what's happening?"

"Oh um..." Sunset's mind whirred as she tried to work out what to say. She decided on the truth. "We just played a little Halloween trick on Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. That's all"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "A harmless trick, I hope"

"Oh, but of course" Rarity quickly answered. "We're just having a little fun with them" Rainbow Dash nodded vigorously.

Luna's eyebrow rose higher, but then she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "As long as you don't go too far." She acknowledges, replacing her goggles. "Oh, are the Rainbooms still playing tonight for the dance?"

"Of course" Sunset answered. "We wouldn't miss it"

"Excellent. I'll see you then, I imagine. Remember to come a little earlier so you can get set up." With that, Luna pulled her hood up, the lights clipped to the side of the goggles giving the illusion she had lowing white eyes. "Happy Halloween" She added before darting through the door.

"Wow, that was cool" Rainbow Dash watched

"Simple, but effective" Rarity commented. "I wonder if I could rig up something like that"

"I'm sure you could, but in the meantime, we need to meet the others, come on" Sunset urged, leaving the classroom.

"You think those two got the message?" Rarity asked as they walked down the hall.

"Based on what I could see, I'm pretty sure they did" Rainbow Dash assured them, while waving at a student dressed as a clown. "I wonder if the others found the human Twilight yet."

"I hope so." Sunset's voice betrayed her concern. "But finding her is one thing, freeing her is another matter entirely

* * *

**And that's enough for now! Wow, this chapter took longer to write than I had originally anticipated, but you can't rush works like this!**

**Originally I had planned for Imitae herself to 'overhear' the girls, but then I figured that wouldn't work since Imitae knows how changelings are supposed to act and the girls really don't. I think this scenario makes more sense, don't you? What did you think of the girl's plan? **

**Special thanks to **LegionnaireBlaze** for that touching remark. Really, you flatter me! And a****s always, I am open to any kind of critique or compliments. (Seriously, I could use some!) Let me know what you think!**

**Until next time!**


	26. Chapter 26

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(I guess it's true what they say; 'The power of friendship doesn't just reside in Equestria'. I owe to the power of friendship for this chapter's completion and to Webbowriter for the inspiring quote!)**

**CH 26**

"Anything yet?" Pinkie asked as she leaned over Sunset's shoulder, causing the redhead to snort in annoyance and glance up from the speaker.

"For the fifteenth time, No, and would you mind stepping back?" Sunset snapped.

"Sorry" Pinkie smiled and stepped back, her green eyes seemed to flash in the lights of the music room and Sunset fought the urge to wince before she remembered that they were contacts.

"What's wrong?" Pinkie asked, noticing.

"Nothing, I'm just still getting used to the new eye color" Sunset confessed, glancing at Twilight, who was in the process of slipping in her own green-tinted contact lenses.

Twilight blinked a few times rapidly, gazed in the mirror, and shuddered. "You're not the only one disturbed by this Sunset" She sighed, folding the mirror closed.

"We know this must feel strange for you" Rarity placed a hand on her shoulder, her eyes full of understanding despite the green lenses.

"Can't argue with the results though" Applejack commented, wiping a speck of dust away from her own green eyes. "Downright creepy. Ah bet Ah could prank ma sister real good with these things"

Next to her, Fluttershy was examining her new look in a compact mirror. "You know, I actually like this look" She admitted, before glancing up, smiling.

"Naturally you would, green is _totally_ your color, darling" Rarity commented, causing Rainbow Dash to snort in amusement.

"As long as you don't turn into the 'green-eyed monster of jealousy'" She chortled, pointing to her eyes.

"Too late for that" Aria commented from the corner of the room where she and Sonata had been lurking. Everyone gazed at her, then started laughing. Even Sonata chuckled, and Aria managed to crack a smile.

As Sunset snorted in amusement, her hand hit a switch on the speaker. There was a small burst of static, and then she could hear voices. "Girls! SHHH! I'm getting something!" She announced, fiddling with a pair of knobs as everyone else gathered around, even Aria and Sonata ambled over.

"_...re you **sure** you heard them correctly?"_ A voice crackled from the speaker. Sunset frowned, it sounded like Twilight, but everyone knew better, it was Imitae.

"_Yes mistress"_ Diamond Tiara's voice came through, but it sounded fainter than usual. "_That is exactly what we saw and heard. Sunset called Rarity a disgrace to all changelings." _

_"And then Rainbow Dash told her that they had been unable to find the traitor, and then..."_ Silver Spoon added.

Taking turns, the girls explained what they had 'overheard' and Sunset swore she could actually hear the changeling getting more and more nervous as she listened.

"_So I was right. There are other changelings here!_" Imitae exclaimed when the two were done explaining. Sunset glanced up at Rarity and Rainbow Dash, who were sporting identical smiles, and grinned. Then she turned back to the speaker as Imitae sighed "_Well, at least they're only drones for now, I'm sure we could..."_

"_Um...well, we heard something else as well, mistress."_ Diamond piped up, sounding embarrassed, even in a monotone.

"_Well? Spit it out!"_ Imitae snapped in Twilight's voice, making Twilight jump and Sonata chuckle.

"_Rainbow Dash and Rarity, they referred to Sunset as 'their queen'"_ Diamond continued.

The gasp that followed seemed loud, even through the speaker. "_There's a **queen** here? Why didn't you say so before?!"_ Imitae shrilled

"_We thought it was because Sunset Shimmer used to be the 'queen bee' of Canterlot_ High!" Silver Spoon answered. Sunset frowned as unpleasant memories forced their way to the surface of her mind. "So w_e assumed..."_

_"Be_ quiet!" Imitae snapped and Silver Spoon instantly fell silent. For a few moments, there was no noise save faint rustling and what sounded like someone pacing. "_Did they say anything else?"_ Imitae finally asked.

"_Yes, the queen said that Twilight was next on their list. She said she'd take on Twilight's form herself and pass Sunset's form onto another"_ Silver Spoon whimpered. Sunset could hear a muffled giggle behind her, but tried to ignore it.

Imitae cursed and there was a muffled thud that sounded like she had hit something. Pinkie glanced up from the speaker, a big grin plastered on her face. "_I think our plan worked!_" She told them in a loud, dramatic whisper, causing everyone to roll their eyes.

"_What shall we do now, mistress?"_ Diamond Tiara's voice made them all turn back to the speaker.

"M_y plan is ruined"_ Imitae moaned. _"If the Rainbooms are all changelings, I can't risk approaching them any more! Not if I want to stay free"_ Sunset frowned. That was the second time Imitae had mentioned freedom. What could she mean by that? "_Unless..."_ Imitae paused for a second, then spoke quickly. "_Diamond Tiara!_ _Go find Adagio, and tell her to meet me as soon as possible!"_

_"Yes mistress"_ There was a clutter of receding footsteps, then Silver Spoon spoke up

"_And what about Twilight Sparkle, mistress?" _

"_Move her to the storage closet we used yesterday._" Imitae replied after a few minutes. "_I'll shed Twilight''s form and become Mirranda again. If Twilight disappears, the changelings may assume she's gone back to Equestria. Is everything ready for the dance tonight?" _

_"Yes mistress"_ Silver Spoon answered, her voice sounding more and more dull, like she was in a trance. "_Flash Sentry is finishing preparations as we speak. We've made sure that almost everyone, students and staff, will be attending the dance."_

"_Excellent, I'll make sure that Adagio's song doesn't affect the changelings that have crossed over. If they're still here, I'll sic my new soldiers on them. I'll throw them back through the portal to Equestria!"_ Imitae chuckled evilly _"Right before I smash it!"_ She laughed aloud. This revelation triggered a series of gasps and Sunset and Twilight both stiffened in alarm. "_Let them return to their hive in failure, and I... I won't have to worry anymore!"_ Imitae laughed aloud, then suddenly paused. "_What's this?"_ There was a sudden outburst of noise from the speaker that made everyone jump. There was a noise of what sounded like annoyance, then a sickening crunch and the speaker buzzed static.

"I think we just lost the listening device" Twilight reached over and switched off the speaker. She turned to face them and saw a row of grim and wide-eyed faces staring back at her.

"Okay, someone _please_ tell me Ah didn't just hear wha' ah thought ah just heard!" Applejack demanded.

"If you mean that Imitae plans to turn the students and faculty of CHS into her zombified army, and that she's gonna force us through the portal to Equestria right before she smashes it, thereby trapping all of us in Equestria forever..." Pinkie answered, no longer smiling. "Then yeah, you heard right"

"Thanks" Applejack grumbled.

"No problem" Pinkie replied as her hair seemed to deflate a little.

"I'm sorry girls" Twilight's words felt strangely hollow. "I never thought my plan would lead to this"

"As much as I would enjoy seeing Equestria again" Sunset frowned. "These are hardly the circumstances I imagined for my return"

"I would enjoy seeing Equestria again too" Sunset felt the gloom in Sonata's voice hit her hard. She saw the blue-skinned siren glance down at the ground. "It's been so long, since we've been there." She added, before placing her head in her hands.

"I know how you feel" Aria added, before shooting a dark look at the assembled girls. "Why didn't you ever tell us that there was a working portal here? I thought friends didn't keep secrets from each other! We _are_ friends now, aren't we?" She demanded, gazing to each of them in turn in a way that made everyone feel uncomfortable"

"Well, you see uh...um..." Rainbow Dash paused as she spoke.

Aria's face flushed and she leapt to her feet. "Oh I get it! You _still_ don't trust us, do you? You _still_ can't get over what happened at the battle of the bands!"

"Well it's not something a fella can easily forget" Applejack admitted "Ya enslaved the students here with ya magical singing, _and_ ya almost broke apart our friendship!"

"Technically it was Adagio's idea to come here in the first place, though we all saw the light show!" Aria retorted "And it actually wasn't hard to break you all up. You seemed to be doing that just fine on your own!"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Rarity demanded, her eyes flashing angrily.

"It means that you were already so full of negative feelings that we only had to give you a nudge in order to get you fighting with each other" Sonata replied, raising her face to glare at them, her angry frown contradicting the wetness in her eyes.

"So you're saying that what happened at the battle of the bands was _our_ fault?" Rainbow's eyes widened

"If the shoe fits, wear it!" Sonata snapped, causing Rainbow and Rarity to gasp in horror and outrage. Sonata snorted and held two fingers an inch from each other. "Aria's right, you just don't want us here! We were this close, _this close,_ to freeing both Twilight and our sister before you interrupted and called us back here, and for what? Just so we could learn something that you didn't want to share with us?!"

"ENOUGH!" Sunset yelled, her green eyes flashing, her teeth grinding together. Everyone stopped arguing and stared at her. "Blaming each other isn't going to solve anything!" In a quieter voice, she added. "Besides, I think if anyone is at fault here, it's me. _I'm_ the one who made life miserable for almost everyone at CHS for the last few years. _I'm_ the one who first brought Equestrian magic here when I stole Princess Twilight's crown. _I'm_ the one who was ultimately responsible for the 'light show' that lead the Dazzlings here. _I'm_ the one who should have realized sooner what was happening during the battle of the bands..." Sunset paused, then sat down heavily. "And somehow, I feel like _I_ could have saved 'Twilight' from Imitae"

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, cocking her head.

"Well, the last time we saw her, she was being taken away by Professor Dooley, remember?" Sunset glanced up at them, and her face was full of guilt and shame. "Well, what if the professor was one of Imitae's thralls? You didn't want her to go Twilight, but I convinced you to let her go. If I had just realized that the professor was under Imitae's control, I could have done something. I _should_ have done something! Then maybe 'Twilight' would be here with us right now, instead of being held somewhere against her will" Sunset paused and glanced down at her feet. When she looked up again, her eyes were wet. "So if you girls want to yell at someone, yell at me! None of this would have happened if it wasn't for me!" Sunset shut her eyes and curled into a ball, as if bracing herself for the inevitable assault to come.

The music room was deadly quiet, as all the girls except Sunset stared at each other with confused or guilty looks on their faces.

Twilight spoke up first. "Sunset, we're not angry with you. No one blames you for anything"

"Well, you should!" Sunset replied, her voice muffled because it was coming up from between her knees. She stiffened when she felt a hand wormed its way down her face, grasped her chin, and gently lifted it up until she was looking into Rainbow Dash's eyes.

"Sunset, do you remember what we told you before the soccer game?" Rainbow asked. Sunset shook her head.

"While it _is_ true that you've done some bad things in the past..." Rarity admitted, a flush of crimson appearing on her cheeks.

"...ya've done a lot since then ta make up for those misdeeds, and _that's_ what's important" Applejack continued, a small smile flitting across her face.

"I don't think we would have even been able to stop the sirens without your help" Fluttershy added, before blushing and muttering "No offense" to Aria and Sonata, who nodded understandingly.

"This may not be the best time to bring this up, Sunset" Aria paused when everyone looked at her, then continued after Sonata gave her a small nudge "But do you remember when we encountered you backstage that one time during the battle? Do you remember how we 'played with your emotions'?" Aria winced as she saw Sunset's frown.

"You mean when you teased me about my reputation and about how my friends didn't trust me enough to help? Yeah, I remember" Sunset growled, the other Raimbooms looked confused and the sirens looked embarrassed.

"Well, we didn't just say that because you were feeling vulnerable at the time, though that _did_ help. We said those things mainly because...we were afraid of you" Aria admitted, dropping her gaze.

Sunset's face shifted from angry to confused. "You were?"

"Oh yeah" Sonata agreed. "Like Aria said, we could even sense the magic on you then. It wasn't as strong as it was now, but it was still pretty strong. We knew that if you managed to overcome your insecurities, you'd totally be able to defeat us! So..._that's_ why we said those things" Her face fell and she played with her fingers apologetically.

"Didn't do us much good in the end, though" Aria sighed and gave a small chuckle. "But don't you get it, Sunset? Of all these girls, Adagio thought you were our biggest threat, and she was right. You lead the Rainbooms to victory over us, and _I_ have little doubt you can do the same here, to rescue our sister and the human Twilight and take Imitae down"

"You mean lead?" Sunset still didn't look convinced. "But Twilight's the leader. I'm just..."

"Sunset" Twilight said firmly, catching the girl's wrist. "I'm not always going to be here to help. As a princess, I have other duties. I can't just pop over here whilly-nilly"

"And while _I_ may have started this group, _you're_ the one that's been holding us together" Rainbow added. "Ever since the battle, even _I've_ been looking to _you_ for inspiration"

"_I_ certainly can't think of anyone more qualified to lead us." Rarity winked.

"Me neither!" Pinkie bounced up on the balls of her feet. "And I've got a really big imagination!"

"I know _I'd_ feel a lot better if you were leading us, Sunset" Fluttershy gave the bacon-haired girl a warm smile.

"Ah agree" Applejack nodded, before extending her hand out to her. One by one, each of the girls, including the sirens placed their hands on top of Applejack's.

For a moment, Sunset didn't know what to say, as she stared at her friends, old and new, who stood gazing at her expectantly. "Girls, you're...the best" She finally squeaked, her voice betraying the pure joy and happiness that coursed through her veins. "I-I don't know what to say" Her voice quivered and she felt happy tears run down her cheeks, despite her eyes being closed.

"Say you'll you everything you can to get our sister back" Sonata answered. Aria nudged her hard in the ribs. "Ow! And everyone else that Imitae is controlling, of course!" Sonata added quickly. Aria nudged her again, harder. "Ow! Oh, and free this world's Twilight, we can't forget that!" Sonata blurted out, rubbing her side, to the amusement of everyone else.

Sunset felt a smile cross her face, which grew wider with every second. "Hey!" She chuckled as she saw Spike leap up onto the mass of assembled arms and place his paw on top of the girl's hands. "Don't forget about me!" He reminded everyone.

Sunset laughed along with everyone else, then she took a deep breath, and as she let it out, all her doubts seemed to flow away. Her eyes snapped open and she could feet the determination building up in them. She lifted her hand, and placed it dead center on top of the other girl's hands, and everyone cheered.

"Okay girls, she said as she rose to her feet. "The dance is in a few hours. We have a lot to do and little time to do it in. Rarity!" Sunset turned to the fashonista "Were you able to finish our costumes for the dance?" Rarity nodded and smirked. "You think you can whip together costumes for Twilight, Aria, and Sonata in time for the dance?"

"Ha! Like you even need to ask!" Rarity scoffed.

"Good. Take them with you, and get them fitted, and remember, we need their costumes to be inconspicuous. We don't want Adagio recognizing her sisters and we _certainly_ don't want anyone recognizing Twilight" Sunset instructed as Twilight and the sirens stood up.

"Understood" Rarity confirmed as she also rose to her feet.

"Ah can ask Big Mac to swing by the boutique to pick y'all up when yer ready" Applejack offered

"Thank you Darling!" Rarity nodded to Applejack

"Alright, the rest of us need to come up with a musical counter-spell to combat Adagio's singing" Sunset turned to the remaining Rainbooms.

"You mean, like when we faced the Dazzlings the last time?" Pinkie chirped.

"Exactly. It worked last time, do you think it could work this time?" Susnet turned to the sirens, who pondered for a moment.

"I think so" Sonata finally answered, after whispering something to Aria. "Even with the Star Stone's boost, Adagio's powers won't be as strong as they were when there were all three of us"

"In theory, at least. But regardless, you should be able to combat her magic the same way you did last time" Aria added.

"Good. Fluttershy, you're our resident songwriter, do you have any ideas?" Sunset turned to Fluttershy, who let out an 'eep' and her gaze fell to the floor.

"Oh, I...um...well I...actually..." Fluttershy stammered, her face growing redder and redder.

"Fluttershy, what about that song you were showing me the other day? What was it called? Dance magic?" Rarity suggested, coming to her rescue.

"Oh, you mean...this one?" Fluttershy reached into her bag, pulled out a notebook and flipped to a certain page. She turned the book around so they could all study the lyrics.

"Awesome!" Rainbow crowed when she had finished reading, which made Fluttershy blush.

"Cool! And I've already got a super funky beat to go along with it!" Pinkie added

"Great! Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, set up the music equipment. We'll want to get at least one short rehearsal in before the dance begins." Sunset instructed

"Yes, ma'am!" Rainbow saluted, with made Sunset roll her eyes.

"What about me?" Spike asked from where he was sitting next to Fluttershy.

Sunset turned to them. "Spike and Fluttershy. I need the two of you to keep an eye on Imitae." Seeing the fear on Fluttershy's face, she knelt down in front of her. "I know you might be nervous, but you're the quietest person we have, and we need to make sure Imitae stays in the dark. You can do it, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy closed her eyes took a deep breath, nodded. "Okay. I'll do it!" She stated, looking very determined, then she pales again. "B-but what if Imitae o-o-or her goons confront me?"

"Scare them!" Rainbow blurted out. "Hiss at them or something. Imitae's scared of other changelings. Use that against her!"

"Oh, I don't know if I could do that" Fluttershy admitted.

"No sweat. I'll help you" Spike promised her.

"You _can_ do this, Fluttershy. I know you can" Sunset repeated, patting the girl on the shoulder. Everyone else nodded and smiled as well and Fluttershy seemed to glow under their praise.

"You're right. I _can_ do it!" Fluttershy nodded.

"Prefect. Meanwhile, I'll make sure the scanner works. We've only got one shot at this, so we need to be ready for anything." Sunset finished. Smiling, she brought her hand out. "Bring it in everyone!"

Everyone placed their hands on top of hers, then threw them up with a cheer. Laughing and chatting amongst themselves, Rarity, Twilight, Aria, and Sonata left the room to get the costumes. Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie wandered over to where the drum set and guitars were standing, carrying Fluttershy's notebook. Spike climbed into Fluttershy's backpack and they also left the room. Meanwhile, Sunset pulled the magic scanner from Twilight's backpack and began to slowly wave it around the room.

"Hang on Twilight" She muttered to herself as she made an adjustment.

* * *

**Whew! I think this is my longest chapter to date! **

**Sorry for the two-week hiatus, but remember, I can't just turn creativity on like a tap. Also, I do have to work for a living, and my schedule's been busy lately. But I've got some free time coming up, so we'll see what that gets me. **

**We're approaching the climax of the story people! Hang on tight! Things may start getting really vivid really fast! **


	27. Chapter 27

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(How fitting is it that I would be writing the start of the halloween-dance climax ON THE ACTUAL DAY! Happy Halloween everyone!)**

**CH 27**

"Well, Ah reckon that should do it" Applejack confirmed, mopping her brow as she stepped back to observe her handiwork. "Speaker systems are hooked up!" She hollered over to Rainbow Dash, who nodded and picked up her guitar.

"Then let's test em out!" She announced before plugging her guitar in, then strumming a power chord. The resounding noise boomed throughout the gymnasium with enough force to rattle the tables, causing Sunset Shimmer to jump, almost dropping her phone into a punch bowl.

"Hey!" Pinkie pouted, glaring from a white table stained orange with pumpkin innards. "Rainbow Dash, you made me mess up my pumpkin!"

"Not to mention you almost made my phone a part of the buffet!" Sunset added.

Under the glare of the two girls, Rainbow gave an awkward smile. "Sorry!" She set her guitar down. "But at least the sound system works!"

Sunset rolled her eyes and shook her head. But just then her phone buzzed. "Yes Fluttershy?" She answered the ring. "What's going on?"

"_Imitae's meeting with her minions right now"_ The timid girl replied in a faint voice. "_I was able to get Spike inside the room, fitted with a listening device. From what I'm hearing, it sounds like Imitae's gonna have her minions lock the doors when the dance starts to keep people from leaving."_

"Where is she now?" Sunset asked

"_Inside room 110"_ Fluttershy whispered in reply.

"Is Adagio with her?" Sunset pressed on, biting her lip.

"_Yeah, and Imitae plans to keep the siren by her side for the entire period"_ Fluttershy confirmed.

_"_Perfect. When they finish their meeting, you and Spike meet the rest of us in the gym." Sunset instructed.

"_Right"_ Fluttershy acknowledged before hanging up. Sunset slid her phone into her pocket, then turned to find Applejack approaching her.

"Was that Fluttershy? What's the word on Imitae?" She asked, her eyes betraying the same anxiety that Sunset was starting to feel.

"Yes it was. Imitae's making final preparations. We should do the same" Sunset replied.

"We need Rarity and the others for that!" Rainbow called from the stage. "Where are they?"

"Big Mac told me he'd picked them up" Applejack confirmed, checking her phone "But that was half an hour ago, and the dance starts in 45 minutes."

"Maybe there was traffic!" Pinkie spoke up as she set a second carved pumpkin down next to the first one and lit candles inside both of them.

"I hope that's _all_ that happened" Sunset muttered, feeling her anxiety rise.

"Hi girls, sorry we're late!" Rarity sang out, causing everyone but Sunset to glance towards the doors.

"Well, it's about time! What took you so...so...woah!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her face morphing from annoyed to awestruck in a fraction of a second. Pinkie and Applejack gasped simultaneously, their eyes wide.

Seeing their reactions, Sunset turned to face Rarity, and her jaw dropped. "Wow!" was all that she could say.

"I'm assuming based on your reactions that you all approve?" Rarity (at least she thought it was Rarity) asked as she dusted off the gloves of her costume. She was wearing a dark purple suit made of what looked like spandex with a large pointed collar, dark blue boots and matching gloves ans utility belt, a cape that was darker purple on the top and darker blue on the bottom, a dark blue mask that covered the entire face, and a wide-brimmed purple hat. What was surprising is that Twilight, Aria and Sonata were wearing costumes that looked _exactly_ like Rarity's. It was like looking at four clones of the same person.

"Uh, the costumes look great, but why...?" Applejack asked.

"Oh, thank you darling! I made them myself!" One of the masked girls cut Applejack off, causing the girl to take a step backwards, her eyes wide. The girl had spoken in Rarity's voice, but it was a _different_ girl than who had spoken a second ago.

"What the-?" Rainbow exclaimed, her eyes almost popping out of her head, while Pinkie Pie burst into a fit of giggles.

"Oh _honestly!"_ The first girl snapped, also sounding exactly like Rarity. "If you're going to pose as Rarity, you should _try_ to do it right!"

"I _am_ Rarity!" The second girl snapped back, clenching her fists.

"No you're not, _I _am!" The first girl stepped forward until she and the second girl were nose to nose, until a third masked girl pushed them apart.

"Stop it, both of you!" She snapped, also in Rarity's voice. "Your imitations of me are nothing short of embarrassing!"

Sunset glanced helplessly from one masked girl to the other in sheer confusion, trying to determine what was happening. Finally her gaze landed on the masked girl who hadn't spoken yet. "T-Twilight?" She asked, sounding somewhat desperate. "Please tell me that's you!"

The girl nodded slowly, then raised a gloved finger to her mask-covered mouth and giggled. "Sorry if we scared you all"

"We weren't scared" Rainbow argued, though she did look a little pale.

"Ah was!" Applejack exclaimed, stepping forward again. "Why do y'all look exactly the same?" She asked.

"And why do three of you _sound_ the same?" Rainbow added.

One of the girls placed her hands on her hips in a way that indicated she was annoyed. "It was Twilight's idea" She spoke up in Rarity's voice.

"A while back, my friends in Equestria and I played a trick on my world's Rainbow Dash by dressing up in the same costume and pretended to be the same pony by taking turns. It drove her out of her mind!" Twilight giggled again as she remembered Rainbow Dash's face when she had found out the truth. "And I was thinking we could utilize the same trick here in order to protect the sirens and me from being singled out by Imitae's forces."

"How d'ya figure that?" Applejack cocked her head, but Sunset smiled.

"You mean you want us all to wear the same costume." She reasoned. "And you probably would like us to split up as well inside the party. That way it will be hard for Imitae and Adagio to tell who's who"

Twilight nodded "Exactly. As long as no more than six of us are seen together at any time, we should be able to pull the illusion off. That way, when the sirens and I slip off to search for 'Twilight', no one will notice that we're gone"

"Wow, that's right clever" Applejack commented, her eyes glittering with amusement.

"It's more than that, it's awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, hopping off of the stage. Twilight gazed down towards the ground and scuffed one of her boots, her embarrassment clear even though the mask hid her face.

"Sonata and I have even taken it a step further." Aria stepped forward, pressing on something at her throat. "Our suits come with voice changers that allow us to imitate any of your voices" Everyone jumped as she continued speaking, but this time she sounded like Pinkie. "That way, if we have to interact with others, people will think we're you. Isn't that awesome?" Aria continued, flipping in rapid succession from Fluttershy's voice to Applejack's, then Rarity's and finally Rainbow Dash's voice.

"You can say that again." Sunset chuckled at the reactions on Applejack and Rainbow Dash's faces. "That's pretty clever"

"Why thank you, Sunset Shimmer" Sonata spoke, but this time it was in Sunset's own voice, which made Sunset herself shudder.

"And now it just got creepy" Sunset muttered to herself.

Twilight tuned towards the entrance. "Big Mac! Could you bring in the rest please?" She called out in her 'Cadence' voice.

"Eyup!" A small tower of boxes appeared in the doorway, supported by a pair of jean-wearing legs, which walked over to the group. The boxes set themselves down and a tall, blond man appeared from behind them. With a smile and a nod to the girls, he turned and walked back towards the door, whistling a country tune.

"So, here are the costumes for each of you." Rarity (or so Sunset thought) explained, opening the boxes to revealing more purple suits, masks, capes, blue gloves and boots.

"Good, we've got..." Sunset glanced at her wristwatch. "About 30 minutes before doors open. That gives us time to do a quick sound check, then when the dance starts, Aria, Sonata, and I will enter through the back of the gymnasium, keeping to the shadows, while the rest of you enter through the front. This will help enforce the illusion that there are only six of us." Sunset turned to Pinkie. "Pinkie, you decorated the place, can you see any spots where some of us can lay low during the party?"

Pinkie scanned the gymnasium which was covered in black, white, and orange streamers, lots of fake cobwebs, tombstones, and spooky looking sculptures and skeletons. She smiled and nodded. " There's _tones_ of placed to hide in here! The lights will also be dimmed during the dance, so that'll help too"

Sunset nodded and smiled. "Good, then three of us will take turns laying low, so the those of us hiding can mingle as well. Then, when its time for the band performance, the three of you disappear while we're performing, free 'Twilight' and get her back here. Did you bring a...?"

"A costume for her as well?" Rarity piped up, and Sunset could tell she was smirking under her mask. She gestured to the boxes that the others were now rooting through. "I made an extra." She said simply.

"Perfect." Sunset felt a smirk of her own cross her face.

"Uh, Ah just thought a somethin'." Applejack announced, lifting her head up. "If we're not all gonna be together, how are we gonna stay in touch with each other?"

As if reading her mind, Twilight reached into a pocket on her suit and pulled out what looked like four earpieces. "The other reason we were late. We stopped by 'Twilight's lab and picked up these radio pieces as well as the voice changers. There's a third one for 'Twilight' as well. These radios function the same way as the communicators that 'Twilight' and I have. Only difference is you need to press on your ear to use them. It's not quite as discreet, but if we're careful no one should know we're using them. But there's only four of them."

"So who gets one?" Rainbow asked as she straightened up, looking hopeful.

"Sunset, obviously" Rarity stated, causing Rainbow to frown.

"Rainbow can have one too" Sunset countered, causing the girl to smile again. "And I think Aria should have one as well. Twilight already has an earpiece, she doesn't need another one. And the last one..." Sunset paused, glancing at the assembled. "Anyone want it?"

"Ah'll take it" Applejack volunteered, shifting everything to one arm to extend a hand.

Sunset nodded and handed Applejack, Rainbow and Aria an earpiece each. "The rest of us should try to stay within eyesight or earshot of those of us with an earpiece. Once we free Twilight, we get her into her costume, hide her in the crowd, then we wait until Imitae and Adagio make their move."

"And when that happens...?" Rainbow paused, gazing at Sunset expectantly.

Sunset froze. Truthfully she hadn't planned _that_ far ahead yet, mainly because every time the thought about the upcoming clash, she would get this overwhelming sense of uneasiness, like there was a big storm gathering, just waiting for a trigger to break it. "Whatever happens, we _cannot_ let Imitae destroy the portal." She said simply.

"We understand, Sunset" Pinkie assured her. The pink-haired girl's smile faded slightly. "But don't worry, everything will be fine. You'll see!" She chirped, her smile growing again until it covered the lower half of her face. The other girls nodded, and those faces Sunset could see were also smiling.

Sunset felt herself smile as well. "We'd better get changed. I'll call Fluttershy." Sunset turned away as Rainbow, Pinkie, and Applejack headed over to the locker rooms with costumes in hand. One of the masked girls went with them, while the other three bent their heads to have a whispered conversation.

Sunset reached for her phone, but froze as it started vibrating by itself. Frowning, she pulled it out and checked her message. Her heart sank.

_Imitae found me! Help!_

"Oh no" Sunset exclaimed aloud, drawing the attention of the others.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked, darting over. Sunset showed her the text from Fluttershy and the girls's gloved hands clenched into fists. "We have to help her!"

"I'll get her. You tell everyone else." Sunset instructed, then dashed towards the doors, almost colliding with Big Mac, who was coming in carrying a tower crates containing apple cider bottles.

"Hey!" Sunset heard Big Mac exclaim as she darted past him, but didn't stop to apologize. She raced down the hallway, heart thudding until she skidded to a stop outside the door to classroom 110. As she paused to catch her breath, she heard frightened whimpering coming from around the corner of the hallway, followed by a growl and what sounded like a thud. Peaking around the corner, she saw Fluttershy lying on the ground, a look of fear on her face. Spike was standing in front of her, growling. Standing in front of both of them Imitae, Adagio, and the rest of the enthralled students and teachers.

"P-please, I didn't mean any harm. I-I was just looking for my dog" Fluttershy whimpered, clutching the snarling Spike close to her.

"Hah! Likely story!" Adagio cackled.

Imitae leaned down closer, her green eyes flashing and Fluttershy recoiled in fear. "You _are_ a good actor. That fear on your face, it looks absolutely genuine. But really, there's no need to be afraid of me. I broke free from my Queen's control, if I could do it than so could you"

Sunset frowned, there it was again! Every time Imitae spoke like that, Sunset felt a pang of guilt flash through her. It was like, she could feel a connection between herself and Imitae, but she couldn't place what it was.

"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Fluttershy whimpered scooting backwards until she collided with the wall at the end of the hallway. Imitae and her thralls moved to surround her. Frowning now, Sunset stepped around the corner into the open. Spike saw her first and wagged his tail, but Sunset shook her head, then Fluttershy saw her. The girl's eyes widened and her mouth opened, causing Sunset to make a shushing motion with her lips, she pointed to her eye, and winked. Fluttershy gave the tiniest of nods, then stiffened again as Imitae, who was now standing directly in front of Sunset, knelt down until she was eye-level with Fluttershy.

"Come on!" Imitae said soothingly grabbing Flutteshy's shoulder. She cried out and twisted, but was unable to break the changeling's grip. "Look at you! You're not even fighting back! I know the real Fluttershy is a wimp, but you don't have to act like her _all_ the time!" Fluttershy's mouth curved into a frown, but Imitae didn't seem to notice. "Why won't you just think for yourself?"

"Because that one is loyal" Sunset hissed loudly, causing Imitae to jump and whirl around. "Unlike you, deserter!" As Sunset spat the last few words, she signaled to Fluttershy with a hand. The girl leapt to her feet and barraged through the wall of students, dashed to Sunset, and knelt down in front of her like a servant kneeling before a master. "You did well finding the traitor for me. Now go. Gather the others" Sunset instructed, trying to make her voice insect-like, but still sound commanding.

Fluttershy lifted her head and winked. "Azz you command, my queen" She buzzed, before rising to her feet, bowing once, and dashing around the corner. Spike meanwhile, had come to stand next to Sunset and now turned to face the other students, growling fiercely.

Sunset turned back to Imitae, who had stood there, wide eyed. Then her eyes narrowed and she smiled wickedly. "Oh you shouldn't have sent her away, and left yourself alone". Spike gave a bark, and Imitae chuckled. "Oh, my mistake! You're planning to hide behind that fierce little puppy, are you?" Spike snorted and Imitae's laugh faltered, as if she suddenly remembered that the Equestrian Spike was actually a dragon.

Sunset gave an angry hiss, making sure her teeth were visible. "Insolent grub! You _dare_ address your queen that way?" She snapped, but inside she could feel her heartbeat quicken.

Imitae's face darkened. "You...are not _my_ queen. I _have_ no queen!" She growled and her thralls moved forward as one.

Just then Sunset heard footsteps behind her and Imitae's thralls halted and Imitae's look of rage melted from her face. Sunset smiled, imagining that her friends had come to rescue her.

"What is going on here?" Principle Celestia's voice made Sunset almost jump a foot in the air. She glanced around to see the principle, wearing what appeared to be a white egyptian-themed dress with a gold belt, sandals, wide collar, and headband-like crown, glancing at the assembled with a confused look on her face.

"Uh...nothing special, Principle Celestia." Sunset recovered quickly before Imitae could say anything. "Wow! That's a great costume, are you supposed to be goddess?"

"Thank you, and no, I'm just a queen" Celestia smiled, caught off guard by the sudden admiration, making Sunset chuckle. Celestia lifted her gaze to the others and her eyes widened. "Professor Doodle? I wasn't aware you were chaperoning tonight?"

The man in question didn't reply, which caused Celestia to raise an eyebrow. Just then, there were more footsteps and a hooded figure in black appeared behind Celestia. "Sister! We need you to speak with...oh" Luna paused as she noticed the crowd. "Am I interrupting something?" She asked, lowering her hood.

"No! No! Not at all!" Imitae replied quickly, taking a step froward, smiling widely. "In fact, I've been meaning to ask you both something _very_ important." She shot Sunset a look as she spoke and fingered the pendant around her neck. Sunset gasped as she realized what Imitae was going to do, and the changeling smirked, turned and nodded to Adagio, who opened her mouth. But before she could sing, Spike, who had been quiet until now, let our a bark that made everyone look down at him.

"Hello! Isn't that Twilight's dog?" Luna asked.

"Indeed" Celestia agreed. "What's he doing here?"

"Maybe Twilight lost track of him. He _can_ be a handful some times" Sunset suggested and both principle's smiled knowingly. Spike snorted in reply, but didn't look up.

"Could you go return him to Twilight please, Sunset?" Celestia asked.

Seeing an escape opportunity, Sunset scooped Spike up and nodded to the principle. "Yes, of course" She replied, before glancing at Imitae and glaring. The changeling smiled and waved, causing Spike to bark angrily and fidget in Sunset's arms. "Shh" She shushed as they turned the corner. Once they had passed the first classroom, Sunset allowed herself a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the save back there, Spike."

"No problem" Spike smiled up at Sunset, then both froze as she sound of singing reached their ears. "Does that mean...what I think it means?" Spike asked, his eyes wide.

Sunset nodded sadly. "The principles have fallen victim to a siren's spell...again!"She groaned as she started walking back towards the gymnasium. "The others are not going to like this"

* * *

"I can't believe it! This is the Battle of the Bands all over again!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pounding a stall door with her gloved fist. Then she winced as she suddenly realized what she had said and turned to look at everyone. "Sorry" she apologized to the sea of identical masked faces with purple hats that stared back at her from around the girls lavatory.

"No problem" Sonata nodded, adjusting the brim of her hat. "We're getting used to it"

"Welcome to _my_ world" Sunset muttered as she opened the door of the stall, giving the zipper on her suit a final tug, and reached for the gloves. She felt pressure applied for a few moments on her shoulders, indicating the cape was now in place. "Thanks Rarity" She spoke to the figure next to her.

"Uh Sunset, _I'm_ over here!" The fashionista waved from by the room's only window

"Oh, sorry" Sunset felt her face redden, causing the figure helping her to chuckle.

"It's okay, Sunset" Twilight soothed as the red-haired girl finished her gloves and sat down to pull on the boots. "This is going to be a confusing night for all of us"

"Don't you mean a '_tricky_' night for all of us?" Pinkie joked. "Get it? Tricky? As in Halloween, Trick-or-Treat?" Sonata chuckled, but no one else laughed.

"Thanks for the attempt Pinkie, but maybe now's not the best time for humor." Fluttershy spoke up from where she was watching the door.

"So, Imitae got ta Principle Celestia and Vice Principle Luna" Applejack summarized, bringing everyone's focus back on the matter at present.

"Yeah, and just like with Twilight, I couldn't save them _either_" Sunset added bitterly as she finished pulling her boots on, then slumped against the sink counter, looking dejected.

"Sunset, no one's blaming you" Twilight reminded her.

"I know, but...I was _there!"_ Sunset exclaimed, gesturing in anger. "They fell under Imitae's control because of me. I should have done something!"

"Like what?" Rainbow asked, folding her arms.

"I don't know, just...something!" Sunset confessed.

"Sunset, this happened last time as well."Applejack reminded her. "We got around that obstacle last time, and we'll get around it now."

Sunset sighed for a minute, then glanced up at the others and smiled. "You're right Applejack" She said. "All the more reason to take Imitae down."

"And how are we going to do that, exactly?" Rarity asked as Twilight handed sunset the radio piece.

"I'm not quite sure" Sunset admitted as she clipped the piece onto her ear and extended the microphone so it rested on her cheek. She glanced at Twilight as she spoke, but the girl just shrugged. "But we'll think of something."

"Yeah, that sneaky changeling won't know what hit her!" Rainbow crowed, making Sunset roll her eyes and chuckle as she reached for her mask. Pausing for a moment to glance at her reflection in the mirror, she pulled the mask over her head. There was a brief moment of distorted panic and them Sunset could see again. To her surprise, her vision was not altered or restricted at all. She leaned close to the mirror, examining her new look. The mask covered her entire head, hair included, and was completely featureless except for the blue eye pieces. Satisfied, she tucked the edges of the mask, and the few strands of hair that had escaped, into her collar, then reached for her hat.

"Allow me" Rarity appeared at her side with the had in hands.

As Rarity secured the hat on Sunset's head, she turned to the others. "Does everyone remember the plan?" She asked. "Aria and Sonata stay with me, the rest of you break into pairs and make your way towards the front of the school."

No one answered verbally, but several masked faced nodded as they all rose to their feet. Rarity stepped back and dusted her hands, indicating she was done. Sunset glanced back at the mirror and saw that all trace of her was gone. There were now only a girl wearing a hat, mask, and costume that was completely identical to the eight other girls behind her. No feature of difference could be seen in any of them. Sunset could feel a big smile forming on her face, despite the butterflies in her stomach. "Everyone ready?" She asked.

"Ready" A chorus of determined voices answered through masks that betrayed no movement.

"Okay" Sunset eased open the bathroom door, peaking out into the crowded hallway beyond. She could hear the noise of various students milling round further down the hallway, but the stretch outside the door was barren. "Let's go" Sunset lead the girls out of the bathroom.

"Here! For 'Twilight'!" Rarity hissed, handing Sunset one of the costume boxes. "See you later!" She nodded before following five others down the hall towards the noise of the crowd, while Sunset, Aria, and Sonata headed the other direction, towards the back of the school.

* * *

**And so the dance finally begins! And as we watch our heroes set forth to rescue their captured comrade and stop the vile villain from completing her vicious plan, we are left to wonder, will they be successful? **

**So, do you like the girl's costumes? Thumbs up for you if you can recall where the idea came from. Both the idea, and the episode that introduced, it have been one of my favorite things about My Little Pony. Criticize me if you want, but that's the way I feel. As for why they're all wearing the same costume... Well, in addition to what was explained above, there's another reason for this, but we'll get to that later!**

**I really wanted to get part of the climax of this story done during Halloween because it's always been one of my favorite holidays. Even thought I'm not really celebrating it now (There are no trick-or-treaters where I'm currently living), I've always enjoyed the symbolism behind it and it just seemed appropriate to wait for Halloween to start the final part of my story. So for those of you who were wondering where I've been for most of October, there's part of your answer. **

**So, what do you think so far? Are you excited? Are you nervous? Are you Angry? Are you all of the above? Please let me know! **

**Until next time!**


	28. Chapter 28

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Wow! I've been really slacking off! Nearly a whole month since my last update? What is wrong with me?!)**

**CH 28**

Twilight leaned against the bleachers, watching as students and staff members filed into the gymnasium two by two. She could feel the cold metal behind her dig into her back, but she didn't move. Even though the entrance was barely 10 feet away from her, the dim lighting, and the angle of the bleacher made it impossible for anyone to see her, as long as she kept still. Through the doorway, she could see the back of Vice Principle Luna's hooded robe. The strict disciplinarian had been doing ID checks on all the students entering the gymnasium, which had worried Twilight since 'Cadence' didn't have a school ID, but Rarity had done some lightning fast sweet talking and they had gotten past without a problem.

As Twilight watched, a second pair of her costumed friends appeared at the doorway. As Luna spoke to them, Twilight tried to determine who they were, but the girls body movements betrayed nothing. As Luna eventually let them pass, one of them glanced in Twilight's direction and nodded. Twilight nodded back, causing one of the girls to speak briefly to the other one, who nodded and the pair separated. Following their progress, Twilight scanned the assembled crowd from her hiding place. She could see Imitae's thralls among the assembled. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, a pair of cat girls, were lurking near the buffet table and Flash Sentry, aka Count Dracula, was hovering near the stage. Professor Doodle was stalking around the edge of the gymnasium. He wasn't wearing a costume, but the scowl on his face could frighten anyone.

As Twilight continued to scan the gymnasium, she saw one of her friends pause in front of the stage, and slowly raise a hand to her ear. A few seconds later, that person began slowly glancing around the gym, searching for something, or someone, at the same time, she tapped her fingers against her hip. Recognizing the signal, Twilight emerged from her hiding place, startling Snips and Snails, who had been standing three feet away, completely oblivious to her presence. "Hey! Where'd she come from?" Twilight heard Snails exclaim and allowed herself to smile.

Crossing the gym, she paused in the middle of the floor and signaled to her friend, who walked over to join her. "What's going on?" Twilight asked in her 'Cadence' voice.

"Sunset wants to know what's happening. She says the sirens are getting bored out there" Rainbow Dash replied in a low voice, causing Twilight to giggle. "D'ya think it's been long enough?"

Twilight glanced around the rapidly-filling gymnasium. There was no sign of either Imitae or Adagio, but their thralls didn't seem very alert, just watching people who were mingling around either by the buffet tables or on the dance floor. Doing a quick count of the crowd, she deemed its size satisfactory and turned back to Rainbow Dash. "I'd say so. Do we have any volunteers to sit out so they can enjoy the party?"

"Fluttershy's volunteered" Rainbow nodded towards two of their friends, who were speaking with a group of assembled girls. "And I'm pretty sure Rarity wouldn't mind either." As if they had heard them, one of the girls glanced in their direction, then nudged the other girl, who quickly excused herself from her conversation. Both girls started towards them, but Twilight shook her head and nodded towards the doors. The girls nodded and separated, one heading towards the buffet table, the other one towards the DJ booth.

"Tell Sunset she can come in" Twilight instructed before walking off.

* * *

Outside the rear entrance of the gymnasium, the night was cold and dark. There was supposed to be a full moon, but it was hard to see behind the thick clouds. Still, the cold night and the lack of moonlight didn't seem to bother the trick-or-treaters, who were out in force, laughing, giggling, and making scary noises. A large crowd of them passed by Canterlot High, waving flashlights or glowsticks and chatting excitedly, followed by a small group of tired-looking parents.

Sunset Shimmer heard a sigh as she watched the crowd move past her hiding place near one of the bleachers. "I am _so_ bored!" She frowned as she heard one of the siren's moan, in _her_ voice.

"Can you _please_ stop doing that?" She snapped, glancing towards the shadows of the stands In the dim light, she could just see two identical faces staring back at her.

"Sorry" One of the girls replied, still in Sunset's voice "Just making sure the voice changers still work!" She paused, then added. "But it _is_ boring out here!"

"Yeah!" the other girl replied, _also_ in Sunset's voice. "How soon are they gonna be ready in there?" The girl placed her hands on her hips and glanced towards the doors that lead to the gymnasium.

"Be patient, we need to wait for..." Sunset's reply was cut off by a click in her ear. "Go ahead" She spoke, pressing a small button on her earpiece.

"_Hey girls, Twilight says it's safe to come in. We'll meet you behind the DJ booth."_ Rainbow Dash's voice crackled.

"Gotcha" Sunset glanced up at the sirens. "You hear that, Aria?" One of the girls nodded, while the other gave the impression she was pouting. "Let's go" The three girls dashed across the field to the doors. Sunset reached out and tried the door handle. It jiggled, but didn't budge. "Great, it's locked" She reported.

"Super, now what do we do?" Sonata exclaimed in her own voice.

"Relax, I've got this" Sunset calmed the siren, then reached into a pocket on her costume and pulled out a small leather case. Unzipping it, she unfolded it in her hands, revealing a series of strangely shaped metal tools.

"Woah!" Aria gasped. "Are those...?"

"Lockpicks? Yeah" Sunset confirmed as she selected two such tools from the case. Kneeling in front of the door, she inserted one tool, than the other, into the lock and began wiggling them around. After a few seconds, there was a click and the door handle wobbled slightly. This time, when Sunset tried the handle, the handle turned easily and the door creaked open, expelling loud rock music.

"Wow, that was quick!" Sonata commented as Sunset withdrew the lockpicks and placed them back in the case. "Where'd you get those?"

"A souvenir from my 'bad girl' days." Sunset explained as she zipped the case shut and stuck it in her pocket. "I've broken into plenty of locked places with these boys." She sighed, wincing slightly as she stepped through the door, but not because of the loud music. The sirens exchanged a look and followed her.

Inside, Sunset and the Sirens hugged the shadowy wall of the gymnasium and moved one by one from the door to the DJ booth. As Sunset, who was last, closed the door behind her, she felt eyes upon her and glanced around to see Vinyl watching her with a frown on her face. Then, as Sunset watched, Vinyl's frown slowly turned upside down and she gave a two-fingered salute in Sunset's direction. Sunset nodded and saluted in return, then quickly made her way behind the booth. She didn't know why, but Vinyl's gaze was creeping her out. Or maybe it was her robot costume.

Sunset darted behind the bleachers next to the DJ booth, where the sirens had joined Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy. The five girls were conversing in low whispers. As Sunset approached, they all looked up at her. "Hey Sunset" Twilight greeted her, but her voice tone was nervous.

"What's up?" Sunset asked, picking up on Twilight's tone. The girl glanced towards the dance floor.

"Imitae and Adagio just showed up" Twilight revealed. "Take a look" She pointed towards the dance floor. Sunset, Aria, and Sonata crept under the bleachers and peered out at the dance floor between the cracks in the seats. Sunset felt her jaw drop as she spotted a girl with big curly yellow hair, wearing what looked like a black-and-purple cheerleader's outfit.

"No way" Aria exclaimed in disbelief.

_That's_ 'Dagi?" Sonata gasped as Adagio spun around, smiling widely and shaking black pom poms in her hands. Still smiling, she struck a cute pose that made a few boys in the surrounding crowd turn to look at her, at the annoyance of their dates. "Wow! She hasn't worn something like that since that time we..."

"Let's not go there!" Aria snapped suddenly, grabbing Sonata's shoulder and squeezing. "Okay?" The other girls were surprised by the sudden raw fury in Aria's voice.

"Oops. Sorry" Sonata whined, placing a hand over her mouth. Sunset had the impression Sonata was blushing under her mask.

"Creepy part aside, that uniform _does_ go well with her complexion" Rarity admitted as she gazed out at the siren, causing the other girls to look at her. "What? I'm not allowed to compliment on good fashion taste?" She stammered.

"'Dagi always was the most fashion-coordinated of us" Sonata sighed, and her shoulders slumped.

"Where's Imitae?" Sunset asked, turning to the other girls. One of them raised a gloved finger and pointed to a girl wearing what looked like black armor with green highlights that gave her the appearance of being some king of giant insect.

"Not being very inconspicuous, is she?" Twilight said sarcastically as she watched Imitae sip a cup of punch.

Despite the setting, Sunset chuckled. "No, I guess not." Sobering up, she turned to the other girls. "Okay, this is it. Now that Imitae and Adagio are here, there should be no one guarding human Twilight. Cadence, now's the perfect time for you and the sirens to slip away. Mingle with the crowd, then slip through the front entrance, the rest of us will try to distract Imitae as long as possible. Here" She pulled out her case of lockpicks and passed them to Adagio. "Take these. I highly doubt that Imitae would leave her prisoner in an unlocked room. These should be able to open any lock in the school"

The sirens paused, then glanced at each other, then back at Sunset. "Uh yeah..." Aria murmured.

"About that...we have no idea how to use these" Sonata confessed glancing at the case in her hands, causing Sunset to groan.

"Of course you don't" Sunset muttered darkly. Then she gazed at Twilight, who shook her head

"Hey, don't look at me! I'm still getting used to _these_!" She wiggled her fingers.

"Oh dear" Rarity sucked in a nervous breath. "Maybe one of the other girls should..."

"Uh girls" Fluttershy interrupted suddenly. "Something's happening" She pointed out towards the dance floor. Peeking through the gaps in the seats, the girls saw Imitae surrounded by Adagio and the rest of her thralls, including Vice Principle Luna. The principle whispered something in Imitae's ear and the changeling scanned the gymnasium, until her gaze rested on...one of the Rainbooms, who was leaning against the far wall, tapping her head in time with the music. Imitae said something to Flash Sentry, who frowned and began slipping through the crowd towards the girl.

"Oh great" Sunset growled as they watched Flash stop some distance away from the girl and leaned against the wall. "I think VP Luna just told Imitae what we came as." As they watched, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon left Imitae's side and slipped into the crowd, no doubt searching for the rest of them.

"And if she sees that only three of us are out there..." Twilight theorized, "Then she'll..." Twilight suddenly broke off as they saw another teacher walk up to Imitae, a woman with a pink face and purple-colored hair. She was dressed as a large flower.

Fluttershy gasped in horror as Imite responded back to the teacher without changing her expression at all. "Oh no! Not Miss Cheerilee!" Sure enough, when the librarian turned around, her eyes glowed green. As they watched, she and Professor Doodle strode towards the main entrance to the gymnasium and stood on either side of the door. Though she was smiling, Cheerliee's and Doodle's stances reminded Sunset of a pair of sentinels.

"Somehow I doubt we're gonna get out that way." Aria reasoned.

"Especially if Imitae now knows what to look for" Twilight agreed.

"Hey, who's that?" Sonata suddenly pointed towards Imitae' who was speaking to a grey-skinned girl with yellow hair who was wearing what looked like a mess of paper and plastic bags all over her body.

"Isn't that Derpy?" Fluttershy wondered.

"It can't be" Rarity argued. "Her eyes are...normal...well...they're green, but they not crossed, like Derpy's eyes usually are"

"Hey, where's she going?" Sonata wondered as Derpy suddenly dashed away from Imitae and out the main door.

Sunset gritted her teeth. "I don't like this. You three need to go now. You'll have to sneak out the way we came in." As she spoke, Sunset started to get to her feet.

"We can't" Aria's words made Sunset freeze, then slowly sink back down to her knees.

"What?"

"We can't" Aria repeated. "Sunset, let's be plan isn't going to work." She gestured to Twilight "Twilight's the only one who can find her human counterpart."

"I'm over here" A girl on Aria's _other_ side spoke up in Twilight's voice.

Aria huffed, but continued. "But Sunset's right. If I was Imitae, I wouldn't leave Twilight in an unlocked room, and probably unguarded as well. I think _that's_ where cross-eyes went." Aria glanced towards the door.

"Aria's right" Sonata piped up, holding out the lockpick case. "And _you're_ the only one who knows how to use these, Sunset. You need to go with Twilight, not us"

"But the plan..." Sunset started to argue

"...was to free the human Twilight, which the two of you can do fine on your own. Meanwhile, the rest of us will come up with a way to somehow get the Star Stone off of Imitae." Aria cut in. "And I have an idea that might do just that"

"Are you sure?" Sunset asked hesitantly.

Aria nodded, but before she could day, Applejack's voice suddenly rang in Sunset's ear. _"What's the holdup back there? The three of us cant distract Imitae much longer!"_

Sunset's mind whirred as she tried to find another idea, but finally sighed and nodded. "Fine. Do what you have to. Just keep her distracted long enough for us to free Twilight. Once we free her and get her in costume, we'll meet you right here."

The other girls nodded. Sunset then tapped her earpiece. "Change of plans girls. The sirens are staying here. I'm going with Twilight."

There was a pause, then Applejack and Rainbow responded.

"_You sure about that?"_

_"I thought we didn't want Imitae finding the sirens!"_

"Right now we have no choice" Sunset replied before signing off. "Okay, remember there are seven of you, so one of you will have to pretend to be Cadence. Can you mimic her voice too?"

"No problem" Sonata replied, _in_ Twilight's 'Cadence' voice.

"Good. Okay, wish us luck" Sunset nodded to Twilight and the two girls crept out from behind the bleachers. They hugged the wall and watched as the five other girls strode out from behind the bleachers one by one and began mingling with the crowd. Sunset glanced towards Imitae, who was still sitting in the same place and saw confusion on her face as her eyes darted from one masked girl to the next.

"Our confusion plan seems to be working" Sunset whispered to Twilight as they darted behind the DJ booth.

"Let's just hope the others can keep it up" Twilight added as they darted towards the door, but froze as the lights dimmed even more. Glancing back, she saw Vinyl nod at them and smile briefly before turning back to her turntable.

"Twi, you coming?" Twilight turned around and gasped. The lights were now so dim that Twilight couldn't even see Sunset in her costume.

"W-where'd you go?" Twilight stammered. There was a tiny click and a small rectangle of light appeared in the dimness.

"Come on!" Sunset hissed, reaching out and yanking Twilight through the door, closing it quickly.

* * *

**Sorry for the long delay, but I've had a lot on my mind lately and I haven't been able to focus on my writing! My thanks to Webbowriter for helping me find my motivation again! Hopefully I can make up for lost time. **

**Things are getting busy again at my workplace, so I'm not certain how often I'll be able to update. But I'll try not to let this kind of gap happen again. In the meantime, keep R&amp;R (That will ensure this doesn't happen again!) **

**Until next time!**


	29. Chapter 29

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Wow! I have been buuuuusssyyyyyyy! So busy that I couldn't even write for a few days. But I'm back and for your patience, I reward you!**

**Enjoy!)**

**CH 29**

"_So, what exactly **is** this plan of yours, Aria_?" Rainbow Dash whispered into her earpiece as the masked girls mingled with the crowd.

"You six keep Imitae distracted, I'll sneak up behind her and try to get the necklace off of her" The masked girl replied, as she crouched in the shadows behind the bleachers.

"_That's it, Aria? **That's** your big plan?_" Rainbow spluttered after a minute of silence.

"Hey, I happen to be an experienced pickpocket! But if you have a better idea, _I'm all ears!"_ She snapped back, making both Rainbow and Applejack wince.

"_Sorry, I guess I was kinda hoping for a plan that involved a little more action._" Rainbow confessed after a moment

"Yeah, I get that" Aria's voice growled through the earpieces as she walked quickly but casually from the bleachers to the buffet table at the far end of the hall. "But I've learned life doesn't always work the way you want.

_"Eh, true that, but d'ya really think this'll work_?" Applejack asked from her position near the doors, trying to ignore the stares of Professors Cheerilee and Doodle, who were both watching her like hawks.

"_It's got to_" She heard Aria sigh, betraying her uncertainty as she crossed to the other end of the table, hugging the shadowy wall, and making herself almost invisible. "_I'm almost there now!"_ She darted into the crowd and began to edge her way through it. But halfway through, she found herself face-to-face with a tall boy with green dreadlocks for hair, who was dressed as a tree.

The boy frowned as he ran her eyes up and down the girl, as if searching for some giveaway as to the girls identity. His eyes were green, but they didn't seem to glow. "Hey, cool costume. So, what are you supposed to be?" He asked, smiling.

_I can't tell if he's a thrall or not. Better play it safe,_ the girl thought before tapping her throat. "Why, isn't it obvious, darling?" She purred in a perfect imitation of Rarity's voice. "I'm...the Masked Maiden!" She declared, striking a fighting pose.

"Woah! Psychadelic!" The tree boy commented before turning away. Shaking her head in wonder, Aria turned and move through the crowd, imitating a graceful walk as best she could.

"_Hey Aria!"_ The girl jumped as Rainbow's voice rang in her ear.

"What?" She snapped, still in Rarity's voice.

"_I think you play Rarity almost as good as the real deal! Ha Ha...OW!"_ Aria glanced up at Rainbow's yelp just in time to see one of the girls rub her arm after getting smacked by another masked girl who was clearly put off by that remark.

"Shh!" Aria shushed them, but she felt a smile creep across her face regardless. "I'm going for it!" She proceeded to dart behind the bleachers, only to freeze as a voice reached her ears.

"_What_ are you doing?" Aria spun around to find Principle Celestia staring at her with a fake-looking smile on her face, her green eyes glowing faintly.

"Uhh..." She stammered, tapping her throat. "I..just wanted to...see what was back here!" She squeaked in Pinkie Pie's voice, before turning to look behind the bleacher where Aria was sitting. "Oohh, it's soooo dusty!" She squeaked, clapping her hands like she was very excited about not seeing anything but dust back there"

Celestia's smile faded, replaced by a confused frown. "Well...you'd better gather the others. the Rainbooms are on in five minutes" She said finally.

"Yes ma'am!" Aria gave a salute and darted away through the crowd. As she turned around after nodding to someone, she came face to face with one of the girls, who folded her arms in an annoyed way.

"I do **_not_** talk like _that_" Pinkie Pie said firmly.

"Uh, yeah you kinda do" Applejack nodded from a little ways away.

"Sorry" Aria scuffed her boot and gazed at the floor. Pinkie eventually shrugged.

_"Aria"_ The girl froze as Sunset's voice crackled over the earpiece. _"Did you try to take the Star Stone yet?"_

_"_No." Aria confessed. "I was about to, but Celestia caught me"

"_Probably just as well you didn't try to take it"_. Sunset revealed. "A_ccording to what Twilight just told me, the only way to remove the Star Stone is with magic" _

"And she didn't think to _share_ that little tidbit with us?" Aria snapped back, her voice bitter.

_"Once we free 'Twilight' we can come up with a new plan"_ Sunset soothed

"Yeah, sure" Aria huffed. "What makes _her_ so special?"

There was a gasp and when Sunset spoke again, her voice was hard. _"I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that! I know you want your sister back, and I promise we'll get her back, one we take down Imitae, just be patient!"_

_"Calm down, Aria. We'll come up with another way to get the Star Stone"_ Applejack soothed. "_Sunset, where are ya?"_

"_We're in the entrance hall now. The scanner's getting a strong reading so 'Twilight' must be close"_ Sunset reported.

"_Be careful"_ Applejack warned. "_Imitae already knows what we look like, somehow I don't think it'll take long for her to wager what we're up to"_

_"__But now what do we do?"_ Rainbow Dash cut in"

"Celestia said we're on in five minutes_"_ Aria answered, "But if the Star Stone can only be removed by magic, what _can_ we do?"

"_Wait until we've freed Twilight. In the meantime, make sure Imitae doesn't go anywhere"_ Sunset instructed.

"Sure thing" Aria sighed, bitterness still evident in her voice.

* * *

"Any luck?" Sunset asked as she took her hand off her earpiece.

"No change so far" Twilight replied, sweeping the scanner back and forth as the two girls crept down the hallway. "Wait" She paused as the scanner suddenly beeped. The needle jumped into the green zone on the screen. Twilight smiled under her mask. "I take that back. This way" Twilight sped up, with Sunset on her heels

* * *

Meanwhile, the seven Rainbooms gathered on the stage, including Aria, who was still sulking.

"Okay Aria, you be Twilight and join Fluttershy on backup vocals." Rainbow instructed as the other girls began assembling their instruments. "Sonata, you'll be Sunset and sing up here with..."

"_I'll_ be Sunset" Aria interrupted, speaking in Sunset's voice. She reached forward and grabbed the mike from Rainbow's hands.

"Hey!" The girl exclaimed crossly. "Give that back! You need to be..."

"I don't _need_ to do anything _you_ say!" Aria turned her back on the other girls with a huff. Rainbow and the others stared at each other for a moment.

"Uh, let me talk to her" Sonata quickly crossed the stage to her sister, while the others went back to work.

"Aria, what's wrong with you?" The girls heard Sonata ask her sister nervously, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, only for it to be shaken off rather rudely. "You've been acting 'different' since we got here"

Aria turned to look at them, then her shoulders seemed to slump. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm just...really angry. I feel like...I have to prove myself to you girls, you know. The Battle of the Bands was not that long ago, and I...feel like I have a lot to make up for"

"Hey, I feel the same way, but snapping at our friends is probably _not_ the best way to prove yourself, don't ya think?" Sonata quipped, patting Aria on the shoulder. The other girls nodded from their places

"Yeah, you're right" Aria turned and clasped Sonata's hand. "Thanks"

Sonata giggled. "No problem! She exclaimed in Fluttershy's voice as the sisters turned back towards the other girls, who had finished assembling their instruments.

"We all set?" Rarity nodded as she adjusted the shoulder strap of her key-tar

"Looks like it" Applejack adjusted the volume on her bass and played a chord, causing people in the room to turn their faces towards the stage. Rainbow Dash added to this by strumming on her guitar.

"Uh, Rainbow Dash. Is there a guitar that I can play? I am pretending to be Sunset after all, and she _is_ a guitar player" Aria requested as the band took their places on the stage, running a hand across her wrist.

Rainbow paused, then shook her head. "Sorry, didn't think to bring one" She admitted. "Besides, I'm worried about you just singing. Even with the voice changers, you sirens aren't exactly _in tone_, if you know what I mean"

Aria's fists clenched, but she said nothing and just spun and walked over to join Sonata.

"That wasn't very nice Rainbow Dash" Fluttershy gently scolded as she shook her tambourine lightly.

"Agreed. We're _supposed_ to be on the same side, Rainbow!" Rarity added.

"Yeah, the sirens are our friends now!" Pinkie commented, twirling her sticks in her hands.

Rainbow sighed. "I know but..."

"But?" Applejack pressed

"I know this may sound selfish, but there's something about Aria. Something that isn't right" Rainbow confessed. "I feel like she's not telling us something"

"Ya'd better keep those feelings ta yerself fer now" Applejack advised. "We've got a show to do. Speaking o which..." Applejak glanced towards the crowd, then turned away and raised a hand towards her ear. "Sunset, we're about ta start..."

* * *

"...h_ave ya found 'Twilight' yet?"_ Sunset paused as Applejack's voice rang in her ear.

"Kind of." She replied, setting down the lockpick case. "We've found the room where she's being held, according to Twilight's scanner."

"_Is she all right?"_

"We're not sure. Twilight's tried calling her, but she's not answering. Which makes me worry." Sunset glanced up at Twilight. Even though her face was masked, she could tell Twilight was worried too. "We're hoping that maybe her bracelet just got damaged or she can't reach the call button"

"_Can ya pick the lock?"_ Applejack asked

"Hey, I've _never_ met a lock I can't pick" Sunset boasted. "But it'll take me a bit longer than I thought. I need you girls to buy us more time"

"_How much time ya need?"_

Sunset frowned as she did the math in her head. "At least five minutes"

* * *

"Five minutes?" Rainbow repeated as Applejack removed her hand from her ear. "But do we even _have_ a song that lasts five minutes?"

"I don't think so" Fluttershy shook her head, her body quivering with worry.

"Are you girls ready?" The Rainbooms turned to see Vice Principle Luna watching them with a barely disguised glare.

"Yeah, just a minute" Rainbow assured her before joining the group huddle. "Okay, we need a long song, _like now!"_

"Um...I have an idea" Sonata piped up. Everyone looked at her. "How about Shake Your Tail? That song you played during the Battle?"

"I agree" Applejack declared after a moment's pause. "It's a song we all know!"

"Seconded!" Rarity nodded.

"Thirded!" Pinkie shrilled

Fluttershy nodded, but didn't say anything

Rainbow pondered a few seconds more, but finally sighed and nodded to Principle Celestia, who was standing on the edge of the stage watching them. "Sounds like a plan. Alright girls, let's rock!"

The girls took their places on the platform while Principle Celestia stepped forwards. "Good evening Wondercolts, and a happy Halloween to everyone!" She announced to a chorus of cheers and whistles. "I would just like to remind everyone that the prize for best costume will be determined after the music, good luck to all who entered!"

"Oh, snap! I forgot about that!" Everyone heard Pinkie Pie exclaim, causing some people to chuckle.

Celestia smiled. "And now without further ado, give it up for...the Rainbooms!" The crowd cheered as Celestia stepped off the stage.

"Aria, Sonata, you _sure_ you've got this?" Rainbow asked the sirens, who both nodded. "Okay. Pinkie, count us off!"

There was a pause, then Pinkie raised her sticks and tapped out a beat.

"One! Two! Three! FOUR!"

_"We've just got the day...to get ready,_

_And there's only so much time to lose!_

_Because tonight (yeah) yeah, we're here to party,_

_So let's think of something fun to do!"_

_"We don't know (we don't know)_

_"What's gonna happen!_

_"We just know (just know),_

_It's gotta feel alright!_

_All our friends are here..._

_And its time to ignieeite the lieeeight!_

_SHAKE YOUR TAIL CAUSE WE'RE HERE TO HAVE A PARTY TONIGHT!_

_SHAKE YOUR TAIL! SHAKE YOUR TAIL! _

_SHAKE YOUR TAIL CAUSE WE'RE HERE TO HAVE A PARTY TONIGHT!_

_SHAKE YOUR TAIL, SHAKE YOUR TAIL!"_

As the girls sang, they saw many of the crowd dancing, including some of Imitae's thralls. Rainbow chuckled when she saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon dancing together. Imitae herself was not dancing, she was watching the others with a frown on her face. Adagio was sitting next to her, watching the Rainbooms and Rainbow Dash noticed that the siren seemed to be squinting, like she was trying very hard to remember something. The green glow in her eyes seemed to flicker on and off. AS Adagio suddenly made to stand up, Imitae turned and said something to her. Her necklace flashed and the green glow in Adagio's eyes got brighter and she sat down again.

"Hurry, Sunset and Twilight." Rainbow muttered as they prepared to go into the second verse.

* * *

"Hurry Sunset!" Twilight moaned as she glanced down the hallway in both directions.

"I'm going as fast as I can" Sunset growled in reply as she fiddled with the lock. "Anyone coming?"

"No, the hallway's clear." Twilight reported, glancing again down the hallway.

"Thank goodness for _that"_ Sunset snorted as she tried turning one of the picks, but the instrument wouldn't budge.

"I don't like this. Something doesn't feel right." Twilight confessed. "If I were Imitae, I would have at least left someone guarding this door.

"Hey. Never look a gift horse in the mouth" Sunset replied, then realizing what she had said, she froze and then looked sheepishly up at Twilight, who crossed her arms. "Uhh..you know what I mean" Sunset felt her face flush a little as she returned to her work. "Argh! This door feels like it hasn't been opened in years, are you _sure_ 'Twilight' is in here?"

"The scanner doesn't lie" Twilight pointed the scanner at the door and it gave off a steady beep and the needle hovered at the far edge of the green area. "She _should_ be right behind this door!

Sunset snorted in annoyance, and twisted her pick again. This time, she felt something begin to give. "Wait. I think I've..." Sunset wiggled her pick around for a minute, then gave a tiny cry of triumph. "Yes! Got it!" She crowed as she felt the tumblers tumble and saw the knob turn slightly.

"Nice work!" Twilight commented as Sunset gently turned the knob and the door creaked open, revealing a dark closet filled with cleaning supplies, buckets, and what looked like a figure wrapped in a blanket lying against the back wall. A familiar pair of purple boots stuck out from under the blanket.

"_Twilight!_" Both girls exclaimed and leaned into the space. The figure shifted and gave a small groan.

"Twilight, are you alright?" Sunset reached out and patted what she thought would be the girl's cheek, the figure's head tilted to one side, but she didn't respond. "She must have been knocked out"

"We've got to get her out of here!" Twilight exclaimed, reaching towards the figure.

"I don't think so"

Both girls froze as they heard a voice from behind them, spinning around. Sunset felt her jaw drop and Twilight stammered, in her Cadence voice, "W-what are _you_ doing _here?_"

* * *

**I think that's a good stopping point for right now! I meant to get this chapter out sooner, but I've been fine-tuning my story's end, making it more exciting, and I think you will like what I have in store. **

**But for now, it seems like Twilight and Sunset have been caught! But by whom? Any readers have any ideas? And speaking of ideas, I'd like to know which of the Rainboom's songs is appropriate for a Halloween Dance. Consider it your chance to add a contribution to the story!**

**I'll have the next chapter out soon so don't delay! Read and Respond Today! **

**Until Next Time!**


	30. Chapter 30

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(I had meant to get this chapter done last night, but I was attending a farewell party for a friend who's moving away. So sad when changes like this happen! Oh well, Life's like that sometimes! Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter!)**

**CH 30**

"What are _you_ doing _here?_" Sunset exclaimed, her eyes widening under her mask as she and Twilight stared at the small group of Imitae's thralls standing in front of them.

"Doing what our mistress asks of us" The leader replied, in a familiar voice.

"Mistress?" Twilight repeated, not even bothering to hide her voice. "Then-that means...!"

The girl snorted, pulling off her hat and facial covering to reveal eyes that were normal, but filled with anger. "No I'm not under Imitae's control, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you two walk away with_ her_" The girl pointed to the sheet-covered form, which was lightly stirring.

"But when did you...? How could you...?" Twilight stammered.

"Clearly you've never heard of a _double agent_" The girl laughed at them.

"How could you work with Imitae?" Sunset demanded "Especially after what happened to your sister!"

"Don't act like you don't know! You only have yourselves to blame" The girl sneered at them.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Sunset retaliated. Beneath the eyepieces of her mask, she glanced around, searching frantically for a possible escape.

"Maybe if you hadn't had been so 'secretive' about 'certain things', it might have ended differently." The girl answered curtly.

"What?" Sunset and Twilight exclaimed simultaneously.

"I thought we were friends! And aren't friends _allowed_ to share secrets with other friends? Why didn't you tell me about the portal to Equestria?" The girl demanded

"What's _that_ got to do with anything?" Twilight exclaimed.

"Everything" The girl growled. "All I wanted, all _we_ wanted, was to find a way to get back home. If you had told us about the portal, maybe we wouldn't have bothered Canterlot High at all."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe" Sunset replied, crossing her arms.

"Besides, the last time _I_ checked, your kind were non-existent in Equestria" Twilight added bitterly. "I somehow doubt the princesses would welcome your return"

"And even if they did, how could you live with yourself when you got back? I know I couldn't!" Sunset looked the girl right in the eye as she spoke. "I want to go back to Equestria too, and maybe one day I will. But I still have a lot to make up for before I even consider going back. Plus, there are things in this world that you could never get in Equestria. I understand that you feel homesick, but this world can be your home too!"

"And if it _really_ means that much to you, I'd be willing to take you and your sisters back with me when I go back to Equestria" Twilight offered.

The girl paused, then glared at Twilight and Sunset with such hostility that it made both girls cringe. "Liar! Take them!" She snapped her fingers and the two girls were quickly seized and held by the thralls.

"Let us go!"

"You'll pay for this!"

"The masquerade is over, girls." The girl bragged out loud as she re-covered her face and placed her hat back on. "Take them to Imitae!" She ordered. Just then, the girl in the closet groaned and made an effort to rise. "And bring that one as well!" The leader barked, pointing to the shifting shrouded form. Two girls stepped up and pulled off the sheets, revealing a purple-skinned girl with a hood over her head, obscuring her face. Sunset's heart sank as she recognized the clothes that 'Twilight' had been wearing when she had last seen her.

"Let's go! Move it!" One of the thralls holding Sunset snapped and she and Twilight found themselves half escorted-half dragged down the hallway back towards the gymnasium, with the hooded girl being half-carried behind them.

"_What do we do now?"_ Twilight whispered

"_No clue. But we'll think of something"_ Sunset replied as her mind scrambled to come up with a way to do just that.

* * *

"_Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight!" _

The crowd cheered as the Rainbooms finished their song and gave a quick bow.

"That was awesome!" Rainbow Dash crowed, pumping two fingers into the air.

"I'll say it was!" Applejack agreed. "Especially you two" She pointed towards the sirens, who shuffled awkwardly. "Them voice changers worked like a charm!"

"I simply _must_ agree with Applejack!" Rarity gave a tiny round of applause. "For a moment there, I had forgotten that Sunset and Twilight weren't with us. You sounded _just_ like them!"

"Uh...thanks?" Aria stammered in Sunset's voice as she cocked her head to one side.

"Well, that _is_ the whole idea for us to have these 'voice changers', right?" Sonata chuckled in Twilight's voice as she accented her words with her hands.

Just then, Principle Celestia ascended the stage. The girls shrank back slightly at her green eyes as she took the microphone from Rainbow Dash. "Well, thank you very much, Rainbooms! Now, I would like to present the next act of our Halloween Night entertainment! Mirranda and Adagio would like to sing a song they wrote just for this evening! I advise everyone to give them your _full_ attention!" Celestia smiled as Imitae and Adagio both came onto the stage. Imitae was pushing a wheeled stand upon which a keyboard was resting. One of her thralls, a brown-haired boy with glasses, rushed forward, grabbed the keyboard's power cord, and plugged it into a socket near the wall.

"Dagi" Sonata gave a low moan, but Adagio just sneered at them, her green eyes flashing.

"So without further ado, here is Mirranda and Adagio singing 'I Wish'." Celestia passed the microphone to Imitae, who passed it to Adagio and took her position behind the keyboard. Adagio cleared her throat and tapped the microphone.

"Thank you. Mirranda and I wrote this song because we both have something in common, and once you've heard it, I'm _sure_ you will all feel the same way" Adagio commented, before nodding to Imitae, who raised her fingers and began to play. The room was soon filled with chords accompanying a beat so vibrant, so pounding, that it seemed to force its way into the girl's heads, no matter how much they tried to block it out. They could see that everyone on the floor seemed to be frozen in place, except for those already under Imitae's spell, who were all slowly moving towards the stage, towards _them_!

"_Uh girls, I think we'd better get out of here_!" Fluttershy whispered before turning away, only to pause with an "eep" as she saw Vice Principle Luna standing in front of the stairs leading off the stage, her hands on her hips. Celestia meanwhile, had moved to the stairs on the other side of the stage, and the thralls were taking positions in front of the stage.

"_There's no way out!"_ Aria realized, grabbing for Sonata's wrist, but clutching her own instead.

"Thank you, captain obvious" Rainbow added sarcastically as she glanced around wildly for an opening. Not seeing one, she raised a hand to her ear. "Sunset, Imitae's about to do her thing, did you find the human Twilight yet?" She whispered, and waited. There was no reply. "Sunset?" Rainbow tried again, but there was no answer.

"Sunset, can ya here us?" Applejack tried, but there was no response from their friend. "Somethin' must've happened to her and Twilight"

"Ya think?" Rainbow snapped, causing Applejack to glare at her, which somehow seemed to show even though the mask covered the farm girl's entire face.

"Well, _now_ what do we do?" Rarity asked, but before anyone could reply, Adagio started singing, and the girls suddenly found it hard to focus on anything else.

"_Oh how I wi-ish you would all clear your minds!_

_Oh how I wi-ish you'd leave all your thoughts behi-ee-ind!_

_Just listen to my voice! It's the voice of truth, my words are the only force, that you must follow, for all ti-ime!_ As Adagio sang, her body became surrounded by a green aura and she began to levitate off of the stage floor. The aura wove around her like streams of cloth, covering her body.

_Oh how I wish, that you would bow down to me-ee!_

_Oh how I wish, you would pledge yourselves to me-ee!_

_Oh how I wish, that you now belong to me-ee!_

_"Yooouuuu beeee-loooong toooooo...meeeeeee!"_ As Adagio finished singing, the aura disappeared, revealing Adagio in her half-human-half siren form, with pony like ears and fin-like wings extending out of her back. The girls noticed, to their horror, that the entire assembled audience, students and teachers combined, was down on their knees, bowing low.

"Wow" Sonata gasped in awe. "She sounds beautiful". Aria silently nodded next to her.

"Well duh. The Star Stone's restored her siren powers" Rainbow reminded them. "And don't you two get any smart ideas about joining her."

"Hey! We know what side _we're_ on" Aria snapped back bitterly.

"Uh girls..." Fluttershy suddenly squeaked, pointing to Imitae, who had stepped forward.

"Everyone, rise!" She spoke clearly and firmly into a microphone and the entire floor rose to its feet, their eyes blank. "Turn around!" She commanded, and the entire room turned towards the back of the gymnasium. "Turn back to me!" She commanded and everyone spun to face her again, causing her to smile wickedly. "Good!" She cackled, before laughing. "Listen to me, everyone! My name is not Mirranda! My name is Imitae, and from now on, I am your QUEEN!" The Star Stone glowed brightly and the entire room got down on their knees and began chanting.

"_Imitae, my queen...Imitae, my queen...Imitae, my queen..."_

"No! We've got to stop her!" Rainbow Dash cried out as she leapt to her feet, but then she cringed as Imitae and Adagio suddenly spun towards them, Adagio still in midair.

"Too late for that" Imitae smiled wickedly, then she pointed a finger and yelled "SEIZE THEM!" Flash Sentry, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Principle Celestia, Vice Principle Luna, and a group of other thralls suddenly lunged for them. The Rainbooms tried to fight back, but there were too many. They were quickly grabbed and their arms forced painfully behind their backs and held there. "Way too late" Imitae added, her smile widening and her eyes flashing.

Aria struggled fiercely in Flash Sentry's arms. "You won't get away with this, Imitae!" She yelled defiantly in Sunset's voice.

"Oh, but I already have" Imitae chuckled "And _you're_ the one who isn't getting away" She added, stepping forward until she and Aria were face to masked face. "So tell me, how does it feel losing to a _real_ changeling?" She grinned wickedly as the others gasped. "Yes, that's right. I know you're not really changelings. A good trick, I'll give you that, wearing green contact lenses and buzzing like insects in front of my thralls. Of course, _real_ changelings don't buzz like that!" Her smile became a sneer. "I'm almost insulted you actually thought you could frighten me with that lame imitation"

"You seemed pretty scared before when Sunset confronted you in the hallway, remember?" Applejack spoke up, raising her head.

"It's called _acting_" Imitae replied matter-of-factly. "I've had years of practice. I admit though, when I first heard about you from my thralls, I really was convinced that changelings had arrived after me. But as soon as I heard that buzzing speak, I knew it was an act. So I asked myself, 'why would you put on such an act?"

Before Imitae could continue, the doors to the gymnasium suddenly burst open. A small group of students, lead by a wizard with a flowing star-covered robe and full white beard. "Forgive the interruption mistress" The wizard spoke, in a deep, but familiar female voice. "But we caught these two trying to free the prisoner" She moved aside to reveal two more masked girls struggling vainly to break their captor's grip.

"Hmm." Imitae's smile widened. "It seems that question was just answered for me" She said to the captured Rainbooms before turning to the two new prisoners, taking note of the identical costumes. "And the mystery deepens. All the Rainbooms are here" Imitae did a quick sweep of the girls, "So who are two of _you_?" She asked aloud, turning back to the prisoners. Twilight and Sunset just glared back at her, and said nothing. "Not going to answer me? Fine. I don't really need to know anyway"

"I already figured out your stupid plan, thanks to my 'little informant'" Imitae gestured smugly to the wizard, who simply bowed her head. "You planned to distract me so you could rescue Princess Twilight, revive her, and finally help her engage me in some epic battle royale hoping to stop me from smashing the portal leading back to Equestria, right?" Imitae shook her head. "A simple plan, _too_ simple. And as you can see...completely useless!" She snapped her fingers and the thralls holding the hooded girl suddenly released their grip. The girl cried out and fell heavily to the ground, causing cries of rage from the captured Rainbooms and laughter from the surrounding thralls.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rainbow Dash yelled, wrenching one arm free, only for it to be quickly grabbed again.

"Oh nothing, just enjoying the thrill of victory" Imitae cackled as the Star Stone began to pulse with eerie green light, a glow mimcked in Imitae's eyes. She grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her to her feet, only to let go, causing the girl to fall to the floor again.

"How _dare_ you treat Twilight that way, you...you _fiend_!" Rarity shrieked.

"Yeah, leave her alone, ya big meenie!" Pinkie shrilled, literally jumping up and down in anger.

"You're nothing but a _great big bully!"_ Fluttershy screamed so loud it made everyone jump.

"I'd rather be the _bully_ than the _bullied_" Imitae replied, not noticing Sunset wince at those words.

"Sunset, what's wrong?" Twilight whispered, she _had_ noticed the movement.

"Let's just say this conversation is bringing back bad memories" Sunset whispered back, shuddering as such memories whirled around like a swarm of insects inside her mind, forcing her to see one unpleasant experience after another, mostly about her bullying other students. Sunset gritted her teeth as she tried to block out the memories, but she couldn't deny one thing. This is just the kind of behavior the old Sunset would have loved to do.

"We have to do something!" Twilight gasped as IMitae knocked her human counterpart down again.

"Shh. I'm thinking" Sunset shushed her.

"Ah swear, If mah hands weren't being held back right now, Ah'd knock some manners into ya!" Applejack raged as she squirmed fiercely in her captor's grasp.

"Oh my! Such violent words!" Imitae gasped with a look of fake horror on her face. "Well, I guess I'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen, won't I?"

"Ha! What are you gonna do?" Rainbow Dash crowed triumphantly. "You tried to control us and you failed, remember?"

"That's true" Imitae admitted, but then she smiled wickedly. "But there is another way to get rid of you?"

"And what's _that_?" Aria demanded, in Sunset's voice.

"I understand _you've_ been feeling a little homesick" Imitae continued, striding up to Aria. "And contrary to what your friends think, I _do_ have a heart. And so to prove it, I'm going to send you home."

"Y-you are?" Aria gasped, and she wasn't the only one who did.

"Oh of course!" Imitae smiled a sickly sweet smile. "And just to show that there are no hard feelings and that you don't feel too upset about having to leave your dear friends..." Imitae paused, as if for dramatic effect. "They can all join you!"

"WHAT?!" Everyone gasped, then there was a fresh outbreak of negative words and struggled to escape.

"Oh now, don't be like that!" Imitae assured them. "I'm sure you'll grow to love your new lives in Equestria. Of course, your dear princess Twilight will be staying with me. Can't have her discovering a way to re-open the portal after I've smashed it, now can I?"

"Sunset, we _have_ to do something!" Twilight's voice was tense with fright.

"I know" Sunset whispered back, but as she tenses her muscles, she felt a hand land on her shoulder and squeeze hard, then lift off. The bearded wizard suddenly appeared on Sunset's left side, just behind Imitae. Sunset noticed her hand was slightly clenched.

"But before I send you to Equestria, I'm going to let you take one last look at the 'friend' you tried, and ultimately failed, to rescue." Imitae crowed as she grasped the hood covering the girl's head and yanked it off. "Gaze deep into the eyes of your friend and tell her you...WHAT?" Imitae's shriek echoed in the suddenly silent gymnasium.

As the hood had come off, the hair that cascaded down the girl's back wasn't purple, but blue. The girl groaned, then looked up. Her face was purple, the color of Twilight's face, like the rest of her skin, but it wasn't Twilight's face, it was...

"SONATA?" A chorus of voices exclaimed together.

* * *

**And that looks like a good stopping point!**

**I like how a lot of people are following my story. I'm glad you all enjoy it! I'd like it even more if more people would comment on what they've read, I do enjoy feedback. **

**In response to the message from Inyocloset, I am terribly sorry for all the damage your head-banging caused you. It was certainly**** not my intention to cause any sort of head-related trauma, and I hope you were still able to enjoy the story.**

**I'm still waiting for ideas on songs! I've got my own selection picked out, but I would love to hear your ideas as well! **

**Until next time! **


	31. Chapter 31

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Welcome dear friends, Christmas Day it be! So a new chapter is my gift to _thee_!)**

**CH 31**

"SONATA?!" The blue-haired siren nodded cheekily at the sound of her name.

"Trick or Treat" She chirped, smiling at Imitae, but her eyes were hard. "NOW!" She suddenly screamed. Before Imitae could react, the bearded wizard lunged forward and grabbed both of Imitae's arms, twisting them behind her back. As the changeling cried out in surprise, Sonata sprang up and clawed at Imitae's throat. One hand grabbed the Star Stone necklace and the girls saw her start to mutter something under her breath. The stone glowed with a blue light.

"NO!" Imitae suddenly screamed, and with a surprising feat of strength, she grabbed the wizard's wrists, and threw herself forward, causing the wizard to fly over the top of her head and crash down on top of Sonata. As the wizard landed, her hat fell off, revealing light purple hair tied in two long pigtails.

"ARIA!?" The Rainbooms gasped aloud. The purple siren tugged off her bread as she leapt to her feet, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Grab the stone!" She ordered as Sonata flipped to her feet rather gracefully. Her sister nodded and the two girls stalked towards Imitae, who muttered something angrily. The stone glowed again and green light channeled from it into her body and down her arms. Just as the two sisters sprang at her, Imitae raised her hands and beams of light shot out of her palms, colliding with Aria and Sonata and tossing them across the room.

"Keep your hands off my stone!" Imitae screamed, channeling more energy into her palms.

"AAAAAAAAAAA!" Everyone who was not a thrall suddenly covered their ears as a sonic cry rang through the gymnasium, followed by a series of red energy pulses that slammed into the Changeling, knocking her back towards the stage. Glancing up, the Rainbooms saw Adagio hovering overhead, her eyes were now glowing red instead of green and she looked _very_ angry. "Keep _your_ hands off _my_ sisters!" She yelled, then sang out again, causing another series of red pulses to bombard Imitae, pushing her back. "And for the record, Imitae, I'm nobody's servant!" She screamed, before going into a steep dive towards the changeling, who began blasting energy from her palms, but which seemed to bound of a sonic shield that Adagio 'sang' into existence around her. "Sisters, I'll hold Imitae, you free the others!" Adagio yelled to Aria and Sonata, who nodded and dashed towards the captured Rainbooms.

"STOP THEM!" Imitae screamed, her green eyes flashing. The crowd's eyes glowed green and they moved as one to intercept the sirens, but Adagio spun around and pushed them back with her siren voice, knocking most of the thralls off their feet, leaving a gap for her sisters.

"Hi-Ya!" The Rainbooms all jumped as the two girls they _thought_ were Aria and Sonata suddenly let out a karate cry and, working together, threw Flash Sentry forward over their shoulders in a Judo-style throw, causing the teen vampire to land heavily on his back in front of them. He groaned in pain, and struggled to rise, but couldn't.

"Help the sirens. I'll cover you!" 'Aria' ordered, charging forward to push back a pair of girls who had just lunged at them.

"Right!" 'Sonata' acknowledged before turning to face Celestia and Luna, who released. "Sorry about this" She said before reaching into her pocket and pulling out what looked like a small spray can. Darting forward, she sprayed a fine mist into Celestia's face, then into Luna's. As soon as the spray hit her face, the principle and vice principle's faces melted from angry to confused, then their eyes closed and they both collapsed to the floor.

"W-what did you do to them?" Rarity exclaimed, rubbing her wrists. By this time, the real Aria and Sonata had approached them. Both girls pulled similar cans from their pockets and the three girls quickly sprayed the other thralls holding the rest of the Rainbooms, knocking them all out.

"Relax, it's just knockout gas. It only lasts a few hours" Sonata giggled.

"Aria? Sonata?" Twilight called in apparent disbelief into Sonata's pink face and Aria's bearded face.

Sonata giggled "Yep! Fooled you, didn't we?" She laughed and exchanged a high five with her 'counterpart'.

"Then...who are you?" Applejack glanced at the girl everyone thought was Sonata, who giggled.

"Who do you _think_ I am?" She asked mysteriously in Sonata's voice, causing everyone to look at each other.

Suddenly Twilight groaned and face-palmed as realization struck her. "I don't believe it!" She exclaimed. "Twilight?"

"That's me!" 'Twilight' giggled again, this time in her own voice. "Sonata and I switched places before the dance began."

"But why?" Sunset wondered aloud, but before 'Twilight' could reply...

"NOOOO!" Everyone suddenly jumped and turned to see Imitae flung against the wall by Adagio, who advanced on her with an angry gleam in her eye.

"This is for what you made me do to my sisters!" Adagio growled, then took a deep breath.

"No! I won't loose to you! I _can't_!" Imitae screamed wildly, and Sunset's eyes narrowed at the tone of the changeling's voice. _It's like she's more scared than angry, _Sunset thought. Then she saw Imitae mumble something under her breath and the Star Stone glowed brightly, engulfing Imitae in a flash of green light that made everyone shield their eyes, until the light faded, and an inhumane hiss made them look up again. Sunset heard several girls scream and she felt her own jaw drop in either fear or amazement, she wasn't sure which.

Imitae was now hovering above the ground like Adagio was, her body supported by a pair of rapidly-beating, tattered, teal-colored wings that had sprouted from her back. Her clothing had changed. She was now rearing a sleeveless jade-green top that showed her midriff, tight black skirt, and knee-length black-and-green boots, all of which seemed to perfectly match her dark grey skin. Her teal-colored hair had grown into a ponytail, and was supported by what looked like a small crown. Imitae's fingernails had warped into claws, her eyes now looked like cat's eyes, and when she opened her mouth, Sunset was sure she saw the flash of fangs. But what stood out the most was that a crocked and knobby horn had sprouted from Imitae's forehead and stuck up into the air like the twisted limb of a dead tree, pulsing with an eerie greenish aura that seemed to envelope her body.

As the girls took in Imitae's new appearance, the changeling hissed angrily at Adagio, who flinched, floating backwards, before her face resumed its angry look and she growled in reply, her eyes and body glowing red. Imitae put her hands together, her horn flared with green energy and a jade-colored ball of light appeared in between her palms, growing rapidly until it was the size of a bowling ball. Before Adagio could react, Imitae hurled the ball of light at her with a loud screech.

"AAAAAAAAA!" Adagio screamed, creating another sound wall to block the ball, which fizzled and sparked madly as it struck the barrier, causing both to shatter, throwing Adagio backwards in the air, much to the siren's surprise.

"Adagio! You have to get the Star Stone off of her!" Sunset yelled as she began wrestling with a girl dressed as a lion, who had just grabbed her. "Get her necklace off!" The siren nodded, turned back, and dove straight at Imitae, who screamed in fury and raised her arms.

"No you don't!" Adagio lunged forward, grabbed Imitae's arms and forced them apart. She grunted something and Imitae hissed in reply.

"Seize them! ALL of them!" Imitae yelled to her thralls below, who moved as one towards the girls.

The Siren and Changeling rolled about in the air, clawing at each other as her sisters and the Rainbooms fought off the army of thralls, trying their best not to hurt them. Usually they resorted to just restraining them until 'Twilight' or the Sirens could use their cans of knockout gas. Sleeping or stunned students and teachers littered the gymnasium floor, but the thralls had sheer numbers on their side and the Rainbooms eventually found themselves surrounded.

"What do we do?" Fluttershy whimpered as the students advanced in one motion, pushing the girls back into each other.

Sonata held up her spray can and pressed the nozzle, but the can didn't spray. Sonata shook the can. "Empty" She reported grimly.

"These two as well" Aria added, tossing the cans to the floor. "And that was all we were able to get"

"Well, we could always do this the _hard_ way" Rainbow offered, cracking her knuckles.

"Rainbow! These're our friends, remember?" Applejack scolded. "We can't just go beatin' em up. It ain't their fault!"

Twilight shook her head. "Applejack's right. There must be another way". Twilight glanced around, her mind whirring as she watched the wall of thralls get tighter and tighter around them. She could feel her double backed up against her arm and a sudden jolt coursed through her. Her eyes widened. "I've got it! Everyone, hold hands, quickly!"

"What?" 'Aria' exclaimed in disbelief, having switched to Pinkie's voice. "How will _that_ help?"

"Yeah, how _will_ that..." The _real_ Pinkie paused as Twilight looked at her. Even though their eyes were covered by their masks, Pinkie could sense the look Twilight was throwing at her. "Oh yeah, never mind!" She nodded and seized Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's hands. Fluttershy linked hands with Applejack, who linked hands with Rarity. Twilight offered a hand to her double, but before she could take it, she was grabbed by no fewer than three thralls, who yanked the two girls apart.

"No!" Twilight cried out, as the press of students prevented her from reaching 'Twilight' Suddenly, a shadow fell over her and she glanced up to see 'Aria' leap _over_ the heads of the wall of thralls and tackle the couple that were holding on to 'Twilight', knocking them to the ground.

"Wow! She's good!" Pinkie exclaimed, as 'Aria' swept another student's legs out from under him.

"Better than good, she's _awesome_!" Rainbow Dash corrected, sounding awe-struck.

"And _so_ graceful!" Rarity added.

"I wonder who she...EEEP!" Fluttershy suddenly squealed in fear as a boy dressed like a centurion seized her wrist.

"Hands off, buddy!" Applejack lashed out with her foot, making contact in the boy's stomach, but the boy just grunted and kept trying to pull Fluttershy away.

"Hey!" Sonata appeared out of nowhere, lashing out with her hand in a savage-looking karate move. Her hand struck the boy's shoulder and her suddenly collapsed. Sonata dusted off her hands in a satisfied gesture, put paused when she noticed Applejack and Fluttershy staring at her. "What?" She asked innocently. "You didn't think singing was our only talent, did you?" She gestured to Aria, who unleashed a series of lightning quick jabs that made two girls dressed like fairies crumple to the ground with surprised looks on their faces.

"Wow!" Applejack mused, impressed. "Thanks"

Aria nodded, smiling, but flinched as cackling laughter assaulted their ears. Glancing up, they saw that Imitae had broken away from Adagio and the two were chasing each other around ceiling of the gymnasium. "You girls actually think you can stop me? That's cute!" Imitae cackled as she buzzed by.

"Oh I'd say we're doing a pretty good job, so far!" Sonata shot back.

"Oh really?" Imitae paused in her flying, closed her eyes, and muttered something. The Star Stone glowed green and suddenly all the students who were on the ground slowly began to get to their feet, including the ones that had been knocked out. "Surround them!" Imitae ordered, and in no time, the girls found themselves surrounded by an army.

"Oh, COME ON!" Rainbow Dash roared in frustration.

"That is _not_ fair!" Rarity added, pouting beneath her mask.

"Well _duh_! What did you expect?" Pinkie exclaimed. "She's a villain! They _never_ play fair!" Imitae scowled at Pinkie's outburst, then suddenly dodged to the side in time to avoid Adagio's diving swipe. As the siren flew by, Imitae suddenly dipped sharply in the air. A look of outrage erupted on her face and charged up a ball of energy and hurled it at the siren, striking her in the back. Adagio let out an ear-splitting screech of pain as the green energy tore through her body, snapping and sizzling like the girl was a fly caught in a bug zapper. The energy suddenly faded and the siren fell heavily to the floor, twitched, and then lay still.

"DAGI!" With cries of horror, Sonata and Aria dashed towards their fallen sister, but the thralls formed a living wall. No matter how much the two sirens struggled, they were constantly shoved back towards the other Rainbooms. They kept calling out to Adagio, but the siren didn't move. Eventually, Sonata's legs gave out and she sank to the floor, sobbing unrestrained into her hands. Aria's hands fell and hung limply by her sides.

"Let them through" Imitae ordered, sounding almost bored now. The students stood aside and the two sirens rushed to the side of their fallen sister.

Hovering overhead, Imitae cackled joyously. "Well, as fun as this has been, I really should be getting on with the show. So..." She turned to the cluster of masked girls. "Since the girl I had imprisoned somehow turned out to be a siren, I can only assume that the real Twilight is among you." She paused, smiling, as she glanced from one masked face to another. "Now I can't tell who she is just by looking at all of you..." She admitted, and Sunset noticed one of the girls stand a little taller at that remark. "So I'll just have to unmask you all." Imitae finished, then snapped her fingers. The wall of thralls stiffened. "Restrain them!" She snapped and the students surged forward, tackling the Rainbooms and pinning them to the floor.

"Let us go!" Sunset snapped angrily as she struggled wildly. But each of her limbs was being held by a student, and they had no intention of letting her go. Imitae landed in front of her, and with a big smile, grasped Sunset's mask and lifted it off.

"Thanks for making it easier" Imitae purred, "One down!" She laughed, before moving to the girl next to her, ripping her mask off the reveal Pinkie Pie.

"Oh poo!" Pinkie pouted as Imitae moved down the line, unmasking Fluttershy, who cringed, then Rarity and Applejack, who simply glared at her. As she unmasked Rainbow Dash, the girl actually tried to bite Imitae's hand, causing her to jump back and laugh.

"Well, well, well" Imitae's smirk widened as she turned to the final masked figure, who whimpered and struggled frantically to break free. "My dear Twilight. Did you actually think you could hide from me?"

"Mmmm! Mmmm! Mmmm!" Twilight frantically shook her head, suddenly seemingly unable to form the right words.

"What's the matter? Pony got your tongue?" Imitae cackled as she ripped off the girl's mask, but her laughter died when she saw the face under it.

Twilight was still wearing her Cadence makeup and wig underneath her mask, and she was shaking as though she was terrified. "P-p-please don't hurt me!" She whimpered. "She...she made me do it! She blackmailed me!" Twilight pointed at Sunset with a shaking finger, and they saw a tear slip down her cheek. _Wow, what an actress!_ Sunset thought.

"Aww..." Imitae tsked softly, shaking her head. She knelt down and ran her fingers through the white hair of the wig. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you...much!" With that last remark, Imitae grasped the wig and yanked it free, revealing Twilight's long purple hair. "I commend you on your acting skills, Princess Twilight. But _no one_ can out-act me" Imitae boasted, tossing the wig away. "And so we come full circle, with you in...more-or-less...the same position you started in. Pick them up!" The ordered and the girls were roughly forced to their feet.

"If you think you can trap us all in Equestria, you're sadly mistaken!" Twilight replied boldly as she struggled vainly in her captor's grip.

"Oh no, my dear. I'm only trapping _them_ in Equestria, remember?" Imitae pointed to the other girls. "You'll be staying here with me, _forever!"_

"You can't do that!" Sunset grunted angrily.

"Oh yes I can. I have the Star Stone, I can do whatever I want!" Imitae snapped back, buzzing over to her.

"No you don't!" Pinkie suddenly piped up.

"What?" Imitae paused, turning towards them all.

"The Star Stone. You don't have it!" Pinkie smiled as she explained. "It's not around your neck any more!"

Imitae snorted and reached for her throat. Feeling nothing, her expression changed to one of panic. "WHERE IS IT?" She gasped in fear.

As if to answer her, a bright flash of white light erupted from behind her.

* * *

**And that's enough for now.**

**I had meant to get this out earlier, but I've been swamped with work over the last week or so. Plus, I thought it would be nice to present my readers with a chapter on Christmas Day! Think of it as my gift of thanks for staying with me. I estimate only a few more chapters to go! We're almost there! **

**Until next time!**


	32. Chapter 32

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(My apologies for the delay. A combination of work, stress, and lack of wifi has kept this chapter from being updated when planned. I only hope you find it worth your wait.)**

**CH 32**

"WHERE IS IT?" Imitae screeched, desperately clutching the spot at her throat where the Star Stone had just been hanging.

As if in response, a flare of bright light erupted behind her, causing Imitae to spin around in midair.

Aria was glaring at the changeling as she held the Star Stone aloft, Sonata by her side, a determined look on the blue-haired siren's face. The Star Stone itself was glowing with a bright white light that enveloped both of the sirens in a white aura that changed to red as it lifted them off the ground. As everyone watched, Aria and Sonata ponied up before their very eyes, growing horse-ears, long ponytails, and fin-like wings.

"But-but how?" Imitae demanded, clenching her fists in anger. "The Star Stone is protected by a magical lock, mere force can't remove it!"

"You can thank our sister!" Sonata replied sharply, glancing down at the still form of Adagio lying on the gym floor below, the Star Stone clutched tightly in the siren's hands. "Apparently she was able to use the Stone's own magic to overcome the magical lock, and get it off of you, though at great cost." Sonata's eyelids, ears, and mouth drooped as she spoke.

"And we all know that the magic you're using is coming from the stone itself. Now that it's gone, you've got nothing!" Aria added, floating forward, her eyes pulsing red.

"Oh really?" Imitae's angry frown slowly curved up into a smile as she formed a ball of green light in each palm. "Are you _sure_ about that?" She taunted as the balls in her hands grew bigger and brighter.

Aria growled angrily and floated forward, followed by Sonata, her look of sadness changing to one of anger. Both Siren's eyes glowed brighter and the red aura around their bodies seemed to sparkle and gleam.

Imitae snorted. "Very well then! If you're so eager to fall the same way as your sister did, than let's battle!"

"I've been waiting for this!" Aria snapped. "I'm gonna make you pay for hurting my sisters!"

"And _I'm_ gonna make you pay for hurting our new friends!" Sonata added angrily, which made all the Rainbooms smile.

"Ohh, I'm so scared!" Imitae mocked

"YOU _WILL_ BE!" The sirens screamed in unison before unleashing twin sonic cries of red energy. Everyone, even the thralls, winced as they felt the force of the sonic attack. Imitae responded by launching the balls of green energy from her hands, which flew towards the sirens like a pair of comets, each leaving a path of green light. The two attacks met in midair and seemed to explode outwards, sending energy in all directions. Light bulbs and windows shattered, the roof cracked and the floor quaked violently, throwing most of the thralls to the floor, including the ones holding the girls down.

"'Bout time!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, leaping to her feet. One of the thralls, a boy dressed like a pirate that had not been knocked down turned to face her. Rainbow assumed a fighting stance, but paused when she noticed a confused look on his face. Nearby, a girl dressed like a ninja was standing frozen in place staring at the floor, seemingly oblivious to the twin bolts of energy that slammed to the floor on either side of her, leaving craters the size of car tires.

"What's wrong with em?" Applejack asked, glancing around as she pulled herself out from under a pair of girls who had fallen on top of her. Rainbow Dash cautiously stepped up to the pirate thrall and waved her hand in front of his face. The boy gave no response whatsoever.

"It looks like they're sleeping, _standing up!_" Pinkie giggled as she hopped over and snapped her fingers in front of the boy's face. His only response was to blink slowly. "_Helloo-ooooo!"_ She called into his ear. The boy moved his ear way from Pinkie's mouth, but otherwise have no indication he had heard her, causing Pinkie to scratch her head.

"I'll be they _are_ sleeping" Sunset theorized, gazing around at the thralls that were still standing motionless. "They're acting like...robots waiting for orders! Remember the thralls only did something when Imitae told them to. But right now, Imitae's focus seems to be solely on fighting Aria and Sonata, so she's not telling them to do anything"

"Speaking of Aria and Sonata..." Rarity suddenly pointed up towards the battle still raging overhead.

Everyone glanced up to see that she was right. Imitae's green beams of energy were slowly but surely beginning to push back the siren's red energy. Noticing this, Imitae startled laughing triumphantly. "Fools! Even without the Star Stone, I am more powerful than the _both_ of you!". As Twilight got to her feet, she could clearly see sweat appear and Aria's forehead. The purple and blue sirens were singing as loud as they could, but it was no use, the beams were getting closer.

"Oh, it doesn't look like they're doing too well!" Fluttershy whimpered, jumping as a stray bolt zapped the ground near her.

"This doesn't make sense" Sunset pondered. "Imitae doesn't have the Star Stone now, how can she still have that much power?"

Twilight, who had been observing the thralls closely saw one suddenly fall to the ground, his eyes glowing green and realization suddenly dawned on her. "The thralls!" She exclaimed. "_That's_ where her strength is coming from!"

"Huh?" The girls turned to look at her.

"Changelings feed off of love energy from victims under their control, but I bet they can use _other_ emotions for energy too. When Queen Chrysalis attacked Canterlot, she drained energy from my brother, and was able to use that energy to overpower Princess Celestia"

"She did _what?"_ Sunset gasped, her eyes wide. Twilight ignored Sunset's outburst and continued

"Imitae must be using her thralls as a power source for her magic" She explained as a girl dressed like a cat suddenly fell to the ground. "She's draining them of energy!"

"Oh dear, that can't be good for them!" Fluttershy exclaimed in horror.

"It's not" Twilight agreed.

"So let's stop her already!" Rainbow Dash cracked her knuckles together, her face determined.

"Seriously?" Rarity countered. "How can _we_ fight against _that?_" She gestured to Imitae, who was grinning a fanged grin and her crooked horn pulsed with light as she watched her energy beams inch closer and closer to the Sirens.

"Not toe to toe, that;s fer sure" Applejack noted, glancing around the gymnasium as if seeking something. "But maybe if we attack from behind..."

"That's it!" Twilight suddenly exclaimed, pounding her fist with her hands. "Imitae's solely focusing all of her new power on defeating Aria and Sonata, that's why her thralls aren't doing anything, right?"

"Right" The other girls chorused

"So, clearly Imitae's power is strongest when she's using it for only one task. If we can somehow get her attention on all of us, maybe even get her send some thralls after us, that would lessen the power she's using and might give the sirens the chance they need!" Twilight explained, to a rush of grins from the other girls.

"Do we have to? I'd rather the thralls stay as they are" Fluttershy's lip quivered and her whole body seemed to shake as she glanced towards the students lying on the floor or standing like statues.

"It's the only way, Fluttershy" Applejack assured her. "But don't worry, we'll stick together. No thralls are gonna getcha" At Applejack's words, Fluttershy stopped shaking, and nodded, a determined look on her face.

"Ooohh! Driving the bad girl nuts! I love it!" Pinkie hooded up and down on the balls of her feet.

"Aww yeah, this is gonna be sweet!" Rainbow grinned wickedly Rarity gave an evil chuckle.

"What are we waiting for, you girls spread out and get annoying!" Sunset ordered. The girls quickly scattered, but Sunset grabbed Twilight's hand. "Twilight, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sunset asked, before glancing across the gymnasium towards the limp form of Adagio.

Twilight's eyes lit up. "Use the distractions caused by the others to get the Star Stone without Imitae seeing us?" She asked with a smile.

"Since we're both unicorns, or _were,_ I should say" Sunset chuckled. "We both know how magic is supposed to work _and_ how to use it."

"We can add out magic to the sirens and take Imitae down! I like it" Twilight nodded eagerly, but just then a bright flash turned both girls' gazes upwards.

"You're through _now!"_ Imitae crowed as her energy beams finally broke through the siren's energy waves and shot towards the sisters, who looked utterly exhausted. Twilight could see Aria's eyes widen in alarm, but before she could to anything, a blue blur darted past her.

"SONATA! NO!" The purple siren cried in disbelief as her sister flew into the path of the beams, which lit the blue siren up like a Christmas tree and made her scream in pain. She fell heavily to the floor, her body slightly smoking. Aria gave a scream of rage and flew straight at Imitae, who zapped the siren with another energy beam. Aria screamed and was blown backwards, coming to a rest near her two sisters.

"No!" Twilight squealed, then clapped her hands over her mouth, too late.

Imitae spun in the air to face her and her eyes widened when she saw that they were free. "How did you...? Never mind!" Imitae's confused look faded. "It's not like you can make a difference now"

"Hey Imitae!" Fluttershy suddenly called from the stage in a surprisingly stern loud voice. "What's soaking wet and totally out of her league?" She smiled up at Imitae's scowl than nodded to Rainbow Dash, who was standing near one of the bleachers holding a fire hose.

Before Imitae could respond, Rainbow screamed "YOU ARE!" and let loose a stream of water that slammed into the airborne changeling, causing her to topple in midair.

"Have a drink, Imitae!" Applejack yelled from the other side of the gym where she was aiming a second fire hose. A second stream of water arced through the air and struck Imitae in the back, causing her to cry out in surprise as the force of the water made her spin like a top, dropping several feet in the air as she did so. When she finally stopped, Twilight noticed that her wings looked sodden and weren't fluttering anymore, hanging limp instead. The green glow surrounding Imitae's body brightened, and she rose slowly back up to her previous height, hands out in an attempt to block the streams of water still coming at her from both sides.

"Oh Imitae!" Pinkie's call drew everyone's attention towards the main doors of the gymnasium, where Pinkie and Rarity had somehow conjured up two large cannons and were pointing them at the Changeling, whose eyes widened in surprise.

"We think you could use an extreme makeover!" Rarity announced as she repositioned one of the cannons.

"With the emphasis on EXTREME!" Pinkie added as she grabbed the firing ropes, passing one to Rarity.

"What are-?" Twilight started to ask, but before she could finish her question, Pinkie and Fluttershy fired the cannons, which show brightly-colored balls of what looked like confetti and streamers into the air over Imitae's head. As the changeling glanced up, the balls suddenly came apart, raining long waves of multi-colored streamers down upon the surprised changeling, covering her from head to toe.

"Whaduya think girls?" Pinkie giggled, while the other girls burst out laughing as Imitae struggled to pull off the trailing streamers, but the paper seemed to cling to her damp body, and the more the changeling struggled, the more tangled and knotted the streamers became.

"Oh yes, that is _much_ better!" Rarity huffed, but her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Serves her right!" Fluttershy sniffed angrily, but she was also grinning.

"Well, that's what she gets from being so _wrapped up_ in her work!" Rainbow Dash cracked, now laughing so hard she almost dropped the hose she was holding.

Twilight giggled too, then suddenly realized Sunset was no longer beside her. Spinning around, she saw the girl kneeling next to the still figures of the sirens, shaking Aria's shoulder gently.

"How is she?" Twilight asked, hurrying over. She immediately regretted her action when she saw concern appear on Sunset's face.

"Not good" Sunset replied gravely, switching to Sonata, who also gave no response to her shaking. "I'm no medic, but I can tell they've been hurt bad."

"Where's the Star Stone?" Twilight glanced around, then noticed it lying on the floor in front of Adagio. She reached out for it...

"ENOUGH!" Twilight heard Imitae suddenly yell and there was a flash of light. She twisted around to see the streamers suddenly fly off the changeling, revealing an enraged face underneath. Imitae held her hands together and her aura around her horn increased. Twilight gasped as the same color light appeared in a dim aura surrounding her own body and she felt herself being lifted off of the floor. She heard a cry of alarm as Sunset was forced off the floor as well.

"Hey! Put us down!" Rainbow Dash demanded as the rest of the Rainbooms were also encased in green light and levitated to float in front of Imitae. The changeling scowled at Rainbow and responded by flipping the girl upside down with her magic.

"Your silly stunt has gained you nothing!" Imitae snarled at them. "Except getting you on my bad side, and if you thought I was bad before, just wait!" Imitae snapped her fingers and two of the thralls on the ground stirred. Flash Sentry and Derpy rose to their feet. "Get the Star Stone!" Imitae snapped and the two students rushed across the gymnasium floor, stepping over, and in some cases on, the bodies of other students. "You know what, I've decided on a new plan." Imitae suddenly announced, drawing the girls attention back to her. "I'm not going to send you to Equestria"

For a moment the girls just stared at her in stunned silence. "Y-you're not?" Fluttershy finally stammered

"Nope." Imitae shook her head, then grinned wickedly. "I'll just destroy you all right here and now!"

"WHAT?" The girls unanimously exclaimed.

"Oh and when I said _all_ of you…" Imitae snapped her fingers and a teacher thrall stepped out from the shadows, holding a squiring purple-and-green figure with paws and floppy ears.

"SPIKE!" Twilight gasped as she watched her assistant struggle to break out of the teacher's grip. Spike paused when he heard Twilight's voice. A muzzle had been wrapped around his mouth so he couldn't say anything, but he sent Twilight an apologetic and helpless look.

"LEAVE THAT POOR DOG ALONE!" Fluttershy shrieked.

"Yes, what on earth did that cute creature ever do to you?" Rarity added.

"You think I didn't notice him spying on me earlier?" Imitae countered. "I've seen how intelligent he can be. I'm not taking any chances!" Imitae snapped back, using her magic to levitate Spike out of the teacher's hands and brought him over to join the floating girls. "Now, once I have the…"

WHAM! SMACK! POW! A series of thuds and hits made everyone look up in time to see Flash and Derpy fall to the ground. Standing over them was 'Twilight' and 'Aria', still in their costumes and still masked.

"Where'd _they_ come from?" Rainbow exclaimed, her eyes wide. As they watched, one of the girls reached down and plucked the Star Stone from Adagio's fingers.

"That's mine!" Imitae snapped, holding out a hand. "Give it back!"

"After what we just saw and heard, I don't think so!" 'Twilight' snapped back in her own voice, clutching the Star Stone protectively to her chest. Imitae raised an eyebrow and glanced at Twilight, who shrugged. _What are you two girls doing?_ She thought desperately.

"You're not getting this stone back, not now, not ever!" 'Aria' agreed, in Sunset's voice, stepping in front of 'Twilight'

Imitae's eyes widened in surprise, and then gave a snort of laughter. "You _did_ see what I did to _those_ three, right?" She gestured to the sirens

"Yeah" Aria nodded, "So?"

"So… _they_ were magical sirens from the world of Equestria. _I_ am a magical changeling from the same world. Twilight Sparkle here…" Imitae rotated Twilight around to face the girls "…is a magical unicorn, also from Equestria."

"And your point is…?" 'Twilight' pressed, switching to Rarity's voice, causing the real Rarity to scoff and Imitae to look confused for a second.

"The point is, _we_ all have magic, an advantage that _you_ do not share." Imitae lectured. "And only a being with magical abilities can harness the power of the stone. Humans don't have magic, so it's pretty much useless to you"

Twilight could see the two girls exchange a glance as Imitae flew lower until she was a few feet away from them. "Now, I'll make this simple. Give me the stone, or I'll destroy you, just like that lot up there" She gestured towards the trapped Rainbooms.

"No, Girls, get outta here!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

"Yes! Take that there stone and run!" Applejack agreed.

"But what about you?" 'Twilight argued.

"Their fate is sealed, but yours isn't" Imitae answered, extending her hand. "If you want to live, than give..me..that..stone!"

"Please! Don't give it to her!" Rarity pleaded

"Don't worry about us! The heroines always turn out okay at this point in the story!" Pinkie yelled, causing everyone to look at her. "What? Don't you girls read suspense books? The hero or heroine almost _always_ escapes the hostage situation in one piece!"

"This isn't one of your storybooks, Pinkie!" Rainbow argued.

"How do _you_ know?" Pinkie countered. "Maybe we're all in someone else's story right now!"

"Give me the Star Stone! NOW!" Imitae demanded, her horn flashing.

The two girls exchanged another glance, then looked up at the Rainbooms, suspended in green aura like mosquitoes in amber, then back at Imitae, who floated forward, eagerly reaching out towards them. They both took a step forward. Twilight felt herself swallow nervously, but the girls didn't progress any farther.

"You want the Star Stone, Imitae?" 'Aria' finally said slowly, then assumed what was unmistakably a fighting pose. "Come and get it!" She challenged.

Imitae stared, than she laughed. "Seriously? You're going to _fight_ me?" She chortled with laughter.

"If that's what it takes to protect our friends" 'Twilight' answered, tucking the stone under one arm and clenching the other fist tightly.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that" Imitae admitted. 'But really, you think physical attacks will hurt me? Oh wait, that's about all you _can_ do, isn't it?" Imitae burst out laughing again.

"I only wish I could do more" 'Aria' replied bitterly. At her words, the Star Stone flashed dimly.

Imitae's laughter suddenly died. "What did you say?"

"I wish I _could_ use magic, then I could use it to protect my friends and teach you a lesson!" 'Aria' repeated. As she spoke, the Stone flashed again, this time brighter than before.

"No!" Imitae gasped, a tone of fear creeping into her voice.

"And even if we can;t use the power of the stone, that doesn't make us helpless!" 'Twilight' added, taking a step forward to stand beside Aria. "We will stand against you! We owe it to our friends!" 'Twilight' glanced up at the girls as she spoke.

"Fer Crimeny's sake. There's a time and place for stupid heroics, and _this ain't it_!" Applejack exclaimed.

"Girls please! I know you want to help, but you can't take her on alone! Just run!" Sunset pleaded, then she noticed the Star Stone glow and her eyes widened.

"No! Friends don't turn their back on friends!" 'Twilight' answered. "True friends are there for you, no matter what!" Then she turned back to Imitae. "I only wish there was a way that we could make _you_ see that!"She clasped 'Aria's hand as

As soon as 'Twilight' had finished speaking, the Star Stone erupted in a dazzling display of light that was almost blinding.

"WAIT! NO!" Imitae screamed and lunged forward, but as she did the Stone emitted a pulse of light that slammed into the changeling, knocking her and the two girls to the floor. As they watched, the Star Stone lifted up into the air and was suddenly encased in what looked like a ball of white light. Suddenly that ball broke in half and the two halves dove towards 'Aria' and 'Twilight' hitting them both in the area of the chest that was above their hearts. The light seemed to go _inside_ the two girls, haloing them both in white light and lifted them off of the ground. The dots of light over the girls' hearts seemed to expand, getting bigger and bigger, until they seemed to be consuming the two girls. A cold wind started to blow inside the gymnasium and the lights began to flicker.

'Twilight' glanced up at Twilight as 'Aria' was completely swallowed by the ball of light that was eating her. Even though the mask hid her face, Twilight could easily imagine the terror that was being expressed by her human double. "WHAT'S...HAPPENING?!" She screamed over the roaring of the wind and the buzzing of the ball of light that rapidly devoured her face. 'Twilight' reached a hand out towards the Rainbooms, but it was quickly swallowed by the light, just like the rest of her, leaving two human-sized and rapidly growing, glowing balls of light that hovered near the ceiling. They flashed once, twice, than both exploded in a blinding array of light that made everyone shield their eyes.

* * *

**And Cut! This seems like an ideal breaking point!**

**I promise, the next chapter won't take as long for me to update! Expect it next week, if I'm lucky! In the meantime, I trust you will not 'bang your heads' too much while you wait. :)**

**As always, Read and Review. I want to know how 'epic' you think this story is! **

**Until next time! **


	33. Chapter 33

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Despite the internet signal being chaotic (Discord's work, I suspect), I am proud of how this chapter has turned out. It's a bit longer than usual because I couldn't find a good place to cut it. I hope you enjoy it!)**

**CH 33**

"Twilight? Sunset" What's going on?" Sunset could barely hear Rainbow's voice over the buzzing of energy and the roaring of the wind, and from the blood pounding in her own ears, as they shielded their eyes against the blinding light.

"I have no idea!" Twilight yelled back. "This shouldn't be happening, unless..." Twilight's voice suddenly broke off.

"Unless...?" Sunset pressed, glancing at Twilight, but just then there was another bright flash that made them glance up. One of the orbs of light was slowly turning Amethyst-colored, and inside, they could just make out the form of 'Twilight' trashing around inside the ball, but her silhouette looked...different.

Twilight's eyes widened as realization struck her. She turned to look at Sunset. "I think she's...transforming!"

"You mean she's ponying up?" Pinkie exclaimed, a big grin appearing on her face. "Cool!"

Personally, Twilight didn't think it was very cool, but before she could comment on that, the amethyst-colored orb of light slowly expanded, and then dissolved in another flash, releasing 'Twilight'… who now looked _very_ different.

Her costume had vanished, being replaced by a dark purple dress sleeveless dress that started just under her shoulder blades. The top part was like a corset, hugging her chest until it reached her waist, where it lightened in color and fanned out like flower petals, and then dipped down in two parts, revealing a tight purple skirt underneath. Her boots had also disappeared, replaced by shoes that were a deep black and had purple wings on the heels that fluttered like a hummingbird. Her legs were encased in ragged looking purple stockings that came up to her knees and matched the color of the finger-less gloves that encased her hands and traveled up to her elbows. 'Twilight's skin had taken on a slightly darker skin tone, her hair had shifted from lavender to a very deep purple-and-black color scheme, had grown in length to her waist, and seemed to wave behind her like a flag on its own. One lock grew even farther, extending down to coil around her feet, giving the impression she had grown a tail. A purple choker necklace with a matching-colored starburst encircled her neck and seemed to glow faintly with an amethyst-colored light.

"Woah Nelly!" Applejack exclaimed as 'Twilight' hung in the air before them, eyes closed. Then she suddenly flinched, arching her back like she was straining against something, and before everyone's eyes, a pair of glossy purple-and-black wings erupted from her shoulders, but these weren't like the wings that Rainbow, Fluttershy, or even Twilight herself received when she ponied up, these wings were HUGE! Then, the necklace around 'Twilight's neck glowed, causing her to clench her fists and grimace in what was either pain or focus, and a matching bead of light appeared at the center of 'Twilight's forehead and slowly began to rise up, getting taller and narrower as it went, eventually solidifying into what looked like a unicorn's horn surrounded in a lavender-colored aura. At the same time, an electric blue line formed between her eyes and slowly traced a glowing pattern over each eye, a pattern that represented a glowing pair of glasses.

As Twilight stared at her double in amazement, 'Twilight' suddenly seemed to snap out of her trance and glanced around. Her dark wings beat the air rhythmically and she glanced down at her hands, then at the rest of her in surprise. "Wow" She breathed, her eyes wide beneath the glowing glasses outline.

"T-Twilight?" Twilight breathed, causing her double to look over at them, and blush when she saw everyone looking at her. "I-is that you?"

"Y-yeah" 'Twilight' replied in a tone that betrayed her uncertainly. "I-I think so"

"That was…Awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her eyes wide, but in awe.

"Darling, you look amazing!" Rarity added, her eyes sparkling. Everyone else quickly agreed.

"Really?" 'Twilight' asked sheepishly, spinning around to get a better look at her wings. "Cause I kinda feel like a freak"

"Trust me. We know the feeling" Applejack smiled, then winked at the others, causing 'Twilight' to look confused.

Before anyone could comment, there was a roar of wind and another flash and the second orb of light began to change. It slowly turned a honey-color with streaks of amber running through it. Through the light, the girls could see a second figure floating inside the orb, straight backed and stiff as a board.

"So, does anyone know who's inside _that_ thing?" Applejack yelled over the noise

"Yeah, If Earth Twilight was pretending to be Sonata, then who was pretending to be Aria?" Pinkie added, looking genuinely confused.

Twilight and Sunset glanced at each other, than up at 'Twilight' hoping for an answer, but the winged girl had already turned around to face the orb just as it exploded, expelling another figure so breathtaking that everyone gasped. Like 'Twilight' this girl's costume and mask had vanished, being replaced with a shimmering peach-and-white dress that seemed to be made from pure light. The dress was similar to the one 'Twilight' now wore, except for the color, and that while 'Twilight's dress split into two sections below the waist, this dress did not , it extended down the figure's back like a bird's tail. Amber-colored winged boots had appeared on her feet, reaching up to her knees, and finger-less white gloves had appeared on her hands, up to her wrists. The girl's long red-and-yellow hair had also grown to her waist, with one lock whipping around her heels. Like 'Twilight', her hair flowed freely like a flag in the wind. The figure suddenly pitched in the air, throwing her arms over her face just in time to Sunset to see golden bands appear around the girl's biceps and a feathered white necklace encircle her throat. Her boots, necklace, and the bands on her arms all contained the same mark, a red-and-yellow sunburst that matched the color of her hair.

As soon as Sunset saw the sunburst appear, a feeling of ice-cold shock rushed through her and she gasped aloud. "That-that sunburst!" She exclaimed, causing everyone to look at her. "That's _my_ cutie mark!"

Twilight's eyes widened in realization and she turned to look at Sunset. "But then…that must mean that…"

"No!" Sunset cut her off, shaking her head. "No! It-it can't be!"

Before anyone could ask the two what they meant, there was another flash and the figure clenched her fists as fiery, angelic wings erupted from her shoulders and a golden-colored horn sprouted from her forehead. It flashed golden and the girl wrenched her arms apart, revealing her face for the first time. A line of red crossed the girl's face from one ear to the other, covering her eyes like a visor or a pair of shades, but there was no mistaking the girl's face.

"Oh my!" Rarity's eyes widened

"No way!" Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped.

"Wowee!" Pinkie chirped, but she wasn't smiling this time.

"Goodness!" Fluttershy's face seemed to pale.

"Ah don't believe it" Applejack gasped

"Wow" Spike agreed, before craning his neck to look at Sunset "Sunset, that girl…"

"I know" Sunset nodded at the farm girl before turning to look back into a face that almost mirrored her own. "She looks like...me!"

"It must be your human counterpart" Twilight;'s eyes widened, then she made a face. "Of course! I should have realized! If this world really is a parallel world of Equestria, and I have a human counterpart here, than it makes sense you'd have one too! How did I not see that coming?"

"I don't think _any_ of us saw this coming" Sunset admitted as she watched her double open her eyes and glance around. "I know _I_ didn't"

As Sunset watched, her double began flapping her wings, creating a flash of fire that startled her and she dipped in the air. 'Twilight' dove down and caught her by the wrist. "Sunset, are you alright?" She asked, pulling 'Sunset' up to the height of the others.

"Yeah. I'll be okay" 'Sunset' replied and Sunset felt a shudder pass through her. It was creepy, hearing her voice coming from someone else. She felt eyes on her and saw Twilight staring at her sympathetically. "Wow Twi" Both girls looked up as 'Sunset' began speaking again. The girl was gazing down at her shimmering dress. "I know you said this would be crazy, but this…_this is_…" 'Sunset' broke off, struggling to find the right word.

"Amazing?"

"Amazing!"

'Sunset' and Sunset both spoke at the same time, causing both of them to glance at each other while 'Twilight' giggled.

"Oh great, it was weird enough when there were two Twilights" Spike muttered, causing both mentioned girls to shot him dark looks. "What?" Spike defended himself. "This is getting very confusing!"

As everyone else laughed, Sunset stared up in awe at her double through the green haze of Imitae's field. _Wait a minute!_ Sunset suddenly felt a rush of dread seep into her mind and her eyes widened. _If Imitae's magic is still working, then that must mean..._

"TWI! LOOK OUT!" 'Sunset' suddenly screamed, shoving 'Twilight' backwards, just in time for her to avoid a green energy blast from Imitae, who screeched in anger as she lifted off from the gymnasium floor and buzzed up towards them, firing another beam from her horn, which struck the two girls before they could react, encasing them in a green field similar to the one Twilight, Sunset, and the others were trapped in.

"So I _was_ right! I was right all along!" Imitae exclaimed as she glanced between the two winged girls and the girls floating in her field. "I _knew_ there had to be infiltrators! Escaping Equestria was _way_ too easy!" As Imitae spoke; she turned to face the girls in the field, more specifically Twilight and Sunset, who were floating next to each other. Imitae's eyes swept up and down the two girls, and as she did, her lips curled in clear disgust. "You really thought you could fool me, couldn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Sunset demanded, but Twilight suddenly gasped.

"Wait, Imitae! I know what you're thinking, and it's not like that at all!" She pleaded, but Imitae simply snarled at her and held up her hands. Her knobby horn flared with green light and a bowling-ball sized sphere appeared around each clenched fist causing everyone to gasp.

"_What's_ not like _what?"_ Sunset exclaimed, struggling fruitlessly to move as the green light got brighter.

"Imitae must think that we're changelings because we look identical to our human counterparts!" Twilight yelled over the buzzing of energy. At the mention of 'changelings', Imitae growled, her eyes flashed darkly, and the spheres around her hands grew even bigger.

Sunset gulped nervously as Imitae lowered her hands until they were pointed right at her and Twilight. "Imitae, don't do this!" She pleaded

Despite her apparent anger, a smile appeared on the changeling's face. "Look at it this way. At least you won't have to tell the queen you failed. I imagine that will be a relief" From the way she spoke, and the pain that flashed through her eyes, something suddenly clicked inside Sunset. Imitae then snarled an thrust her hands forward, causing Twilight and Sunset to look away and close their eyes.

"NO!" 'Sunset' cried out and a second later there was a bright flash and the aura holding 'Sunset' and 'Twilight' vanished. 'Sunset' dove towards the trapped girls, but Imitae spun around and shot one of the beams at her, forcing her to drop to avoid it, but she couldn't avoid the second beam, which struck her in the chest and threw her backwards with a cry of pain.

"Oh, it is _so_ on!" 'Twilight' growled as her wings lashed out violently against the air around her. Her eyes narrowed, her horn glowed lavender and a matching-colored sphere of light formed in each hand. Growling, she unleashed twin beams of magic at Imitae, who dodged, but narrowly and quickly fired another blast from her hands, which missed 'Twilight', but barely. The beams struck the school wall and floor, blowing holes and craters into them.

"Sunset! See if you can free the others. She's mine!" 'Twilight' dove at Imitae, her horn and hands glowing with energy. Imitae roared in response and flew up to meet her, her own horn and hands glowing as well. Both girls collided in a blinding flash of light that made everyone avert their gaze. Both 'Twilight' and Imitae were knocked backwards by the blast, but both girls quickly recovered and conjured, and then fired, beams of magic from their hands. The beams collided with a deafening boom and a bright flash, like when Imitae's energy had collided with the siren's, creating a dazzling light show and a storm of stray bolts of energy that ripped more holes into the walls and floors of the gymnasium. As the girls watched, a large bolt shot skywards, ripping off about half of the gymnasium roof. Debris rained down on both 'Twilight' and Imitae, forcing both girls to dodge and weave like crazy, until finally 'Twilight' broke away and soared up past the rain of debris and the crumbling roof into the sky above the school. Still snarling, Imitae buzzed up after her. Once the girls were clear of the school, they resumed their magical 'shoving match'.

While this was happening, 'Sunset' flew over to where the Rainbooms were trapped, and Sunset finally got a good look at her double. Her jaw dropped, the resemblance was uncanny. Except for the red line on her face, 'Sunset' looked nearly identical Sunset, despite the obvious pony differences. "Listen everyone!" 'Sunset's call for attention snapped Sunset out of her state. "I need you to hold completely still. I'm not quite sure how this is gonna work" She ordered, then raised her hands and closed her eyes. Her horn flared with gold light and slowly the color of the field holding the girls changed from green to yellow. The girls suddenly dropped about two feet before 'Sunset' caught them again, causing everyone to squeak in fear and 'Sunset' to grin apologetically. "Sorry, my bad!" She assured them, which did little to improve anyone's mood. 'Sunset' closed her eyes and made the yellow aura drop down slowly until the girls could feel the gym floor under their feet. As they set down, the aura faded away, freeing them.

"Thanks" Twilight smiled up at 'Sunset' as she dusted herself off. 'Sunset' nodded and smiled at her, then caught Sunset's eye. Sunset wanted to thank her double as well, but for some reason, her mouth refused to work, so she just stood there, staring at her.

ZAPP! A bolt of energy slammed into the floor in front of the Rainbooms, making everyone jump. Turing their attention back to the magical energy 'shoving match' taking place above them, the girls saw that Imitae cackled with glee as her energy began to push 'Twilight's back. The black-winged girl gritted her teeth and fought back, but it was clear she was begin overpowered.

"I don't understand." Rarity piped up. "If Twilight and Sunset's human counterparts have the Star Stone now, than why is Imitae still more powerful than them? No offense meant" Rarity quickly added, glancing at 'Sunset'.

"None taken." 'Sunset' nodded, than looked thoughtful. "Clearly Imitae's drawing power from another source, the question is, what is that source?"

"I've got it!" Twilight suddenly exclaimed. "In Canterlot, Changelings feed off of a pony's emotions. When Chrysalis impersonated my sister in law, and fed off of my brother's love, it made her stronger. I bet that Imitae's drawing energy from her thralls, to fuel her power!"

"So yer sayin', if we can somehow break Imitae's control over her thralls, we'll cut off her power?" Applejack reasoned.

"Exactly, or at the very least, she won't be able to use them against us anymore" Twilight explained.

"Sounds like a plan" 'Sunset' nodded. "You girls find a way to wake them up, I'll go help 'Twilight" With that, 'Sunset' turned and flew up towards the battle raging above.

"So, how exactly _do_ we wake them up?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well…Changelings feed off of love, right?" Pinkie asked. When Twilight nodded, Pinkie's eyes suddenly got round. "Oohh, maybe we need to _kiss_ them all!" She suggested, to an immediate chorus of outrage.

"Are you serious?" Rainbow exclaimed, her jaw hanging.

"Ugh, disgusting!" Rarity huffed, looking repulsed.

"Maybe we don't need to go _that_ far" Sunset explained.

"You got an idea?" Applejack asked.

Sunset nodded. "Even though the thralls are under Imitae's power now, it was Adagio who first entranced them, remember?" She reminded them "So I think that the way to wake them up, is to do the same thing that we did when we faced the sirens"

"You mean, play a song?" Fluttershy asked. Sunset nodded

"Are you certain that will work?" Rarity did not look convinced.

"No, I'm not" Sunset admitted. "But it's all I can think of"

"It's definitely worth a try" Twilight agreed, and the other girls nodded. "But what should we play?"

"I know the perfect song!" Pinkie announced, smiling widely.

* * *

'Twilight' gritted her teeth as she struggled to hold back Imitae's intense attack. Even with the power of the Star Stone fueling her, she was finding it difficult to hold the changeling back. "Where...is all...her power...coming from? "She grunted, trying to increase her own power, but she could feel her mind losing focus and her magic was pushed back farther ad farther, until the collision point between the two beams was only a few feet from her hands. Imitae's laughter rang in her mind as she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable...

"Need a hand?" 'Twilight's eyes snapped open to see 'Sunset' hovering a few feet away, gazing at her with concern in her eyes. 'Twilight' nodded, her eyes sparkling with gratitude and Sunset turned to face Imitae and held her hands out, forming a ball of golden light. "Yo, Imitae!" She barked and Twilight saw the changeling pause in her cackling and glance up. "Leave my friends alone!" 'Sunset' demanded, and a beam of sunlight-yellow energy lanced out from her hands. Imitae's eyes widened and she shot out a hand, forming a barrier, but in the process, the beams attacking 'Twilight' faltered, allowing her to regain some ground. Now she and 'Sunset' were on the offensive.

"No!" Imitae screamed as she cowered behind her green barrier. "I won't lose to the likes of you! I _can't!_ She shut her eyes and squinted her eyelids, like she was thinking really hard. Her horn turned solid green and the barrier she had erected began to push out away from her. 'Sunset' and 'Twilight' frowned and put more power into their attacks, but they could feel that their magic wasn't doing anything, it was like pushing against a stone wall.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Imitae laughed when she opened her eyes and saw that she was, once again, pushing their combined magic back. "Even the two of you together can't take me down!" She crowed. 'Twilight' and 'Sunset' exchanged a look, but before either girl could say anything, they suddenly became aware of a noise...music!

"_I feel it stirrin', deep down inside my soul! The rhythm's taken hold, and it's about to roll!"_ Sunset's voice made everyone dance down towards the stage, where the Rainbooms were playing. Sunset was staring up at them with a microphone in her hands

"_A million sparkles, falling across the floor! So DJ give it more, it's what we're waiting for"_ Twilight added, stepping forward with a second microphone in her hand, and a smile on her face.

"_Dance...the night away!_

_All our friends right by our side!_

_It doesn't matter, what style you bring,_

_We're about to go on that ride!"_ The Rainbooms sang, and as they did, their bodies began to glow and one by one, they all floated up into the air, while still playing their instruments. Even Pinkie Pie's drum set levitated into the air as she pounded with her drumsticks.

"_It's Dance Magic! Once you have it, let your body move, step into the music!_

_It's Dance Magic! And its electric! Let your body move to the music!"_ As the Rainbooms sang, they all ponied up simultaneously. Their ears became pointed, like horse ears and traveled up to the tops of their heads and their hair grey into long ponytails that reached down to their feet. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash grew small wings as well.

"_It don't matter what style ya got! Just keep dancin' on that spot"_ Applejack started, thrumming a beat on her base

"_Friends like you for who you are! Dance queen, on the scene, Superstar!" _Rarity added, spinning in midair, tapping her key-tar.

"_If CHS has got the moves, the Rainbooms will bring all the grooves!"_ Rainbow continued, strumming her guitar.

"_So put it together and make it fit! CHS Rainbooms, DANCE MAGIC!"_ Pinkie finished, screaming the last words out over the gymnasium.

"_Dance the Night away, all our friends are by our side! It doesn't matter what style you bring, we're about to go on that ride!"_ As the Rainbooms sang, 'Twilight's and 'Sunset' noticed that their music was beginning to have an affect on the crowd. People were shaking their heads and glancing around, their eyes no longer green. When they heard the Rainboom's music, they started smiling and many began singing.

"_It's Dance Magic! Once you have it, let your body move, step into the music!_

_It's Dance Magic! And its electric! Let your body move to the music!"_ By this point all the assembled had been released from the spell, the staff were clapping and stamping to the beat and many students were dancing. Hovering over the stage with the rest of the Rainbooms, Twilight and Sunset smiled up at their human doubles, then all the Rainbooms floated close together and the air above them seemed to shimmer. A rainbow suddenly shot up from the group and began weaving through the air like a multi-colored ribbon, twisting and turning until it finally paused just above the two winged girls, then it split into two smaller rainbows and dove down. Each rainbow wrapped itself almost lovingly around one of the girls before finally flowing onto the girl's necklaces. At that moment, the girls felt a surge of energy lance through them and the power of their attacks seemed to grow stronger.

"What?" They heard Imitae cry out and saw alarm appear in the changeling's eyes as she saw her shield begin to crack under the intense power of the girls. "No!" The two girls glanced at each other, smiled, and nodded.

Turning back to Imitae, they said clearly and simultaneously "We wish that Imitae was no longer able to hurt the people of this world!" Their necklaces lit up in response, and the glow spread to their horns, which flared as bright as neon lights. The intensity of the energy beams seemed to increase tenfold, shattering Imitae's shield easily.

"NO!" Imitae screeched as she was engulfed in a blinding white light! She shut her eyes and waited for it to end.

* * *

**Well, that seems like as good a place as any to end this chapter!**

**First of all, I would just like to say...GOTCHA! I mean, how many of you guessed that Sunset's human counterpart would make an appearance? My guess: NO ONE!**

**Second: I know that my lyrics of Dance Magic are not the correct ones, but I felt that these tied in with the setting better. I do not own Dance Magic or any song from Friendship Games.**

**Third: I would like to thank all the readers who have been commenting so far. I like being followed or favorited, but I like comments better because they let me know exactly what you think of my work. So please, try to comment more! Even if it's just two words. **

**Almost there people, the end is in sight! I've got some free time coming up, so we'll see how long it takes me to write the next chapter! **

**Until Next Time!**


	34. Chapter 34

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(I had meant to get this out last week, but I got distracted (as usual). But here's another chapter for you)**

**CH 34**

'Twilight' and 'Sunset' blinked rapidly, their eyes adjusting to the sudden continuous glare of bright light. When they could see again, they found that the sky and school around them had faded away, being replaced by what seemed to be an endless white space.

"Wh-where are we?" 'Sunset' asked, her wings fluttering uneasily as she glanced around.

"I-I don't know" 'Twilight replied, glancing around, then narrowed her eyes. "But we're not alone" She pointed a few feet away where another figure was floating nearby, with insect like wings.

"Imitae" 'Sunset' growled, then paused as she heard what sounded like sniffing. "Is..is she...crying?" She asked.

"Sure sounds like it" 'Twilight' agreed, then flew over to where the changeling was hunched over in a protective pose, her hands crossed in front of her face. The sound of sniffling got louder and 'Twilight' saw something shiny fall from behind her arms. "She _is_ crying" She whispered to 'Sunset' as the latter flew alongside. 'Sunset's wings rustled and Imitae froze at the noise. The sound of sniffling stopped.

"Imitae? Are you okay?" 'Sunset' asked cautiously, reaching forward and tapping Imitae on the arm. Imitae screamed, making both girls jump, and shot backwards, her wings buzzing madly, her face a tear-streaked mask of panic.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" She screeched, her vocal tone making both girls wince, her eyes wide and wet. "I'M NEVER GOING BACK! DO YOU HEAR ME? NEVER!"

"Go back?" 'Twilight' repeated, looking as confused as she sounded. "Go back where?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Princess Twilight!" Imitae snapped as she brought her hands out. "You and your little minion are trying to take me back to Equestria! Well it won't happen!"

"Minion?" 'Sunset' repeated, looking insulted. She flew forward, fists clenched, but 'Twilight' darted in front of her, hands raised.

"Cool it, Sunset! Let's not start the light show again, okay?" 'Twilight' soothed, but her voice was firm. 'Sunset' glowered at the changeling, but she eventually backed off. A snapping sound made 'Twilight' turn to face Imitae, who instantly thrust out her hands. Her horn glowed green and 'Twilight' braced herself for another magical onslaught, but nothing happened.

"What?" Imitae's eyes widened in surprise. She thrust her hands out again, narrowing her eyes at 'Twilight', who cocked her head, pondering. Imitae's horn flared green light, and sparks of energy trailed along her arms, but nothing else happened. "What's going on?" Imitae gasped, the confusion on her face giving way to horror. She thrust her hands out a third time, this time she squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. Her horn seemed to explode with green light, green electricity trailed down her arms and a ball of light formed in her hands for a few seconds, but then it disappeared. The light in her horn faded and Imitae slumped in the air, looking exhausted and gasping for breath. "What...happened...to my...magic?" She panted.

"What happened is that you've been neutralized." 'Twilight' explained, flying closer to the changeling. "We figured out how the Star Stone works. It acts like a wishing star, so all you have to do is wish something and the stone can make it happen"

"So we simply wished that you couldn't use your powers on anyone from this world any more." 'Sunset' took over. "And since both Twilight and I are natives to this world, that includes us"

"What?" Imitae stiffened suddenly and gazed at 'Sunset' with a bewildered look on her face. "You...you're from _this_ world?"

"Yes Imitae" 'Twilight' flapped closer, smiling sweetly at the cowering changeling. "We both are, and despite what you may think, neither of us want to hurt you. _Right?"_ 'Twilight' directed the last word towards 'Sunset' who rolled her eyes and gave a sly smile. But that smug look slowly melted into a concerned one when she saw how scared and confused Imitae looked.

'Sunset' slowly flew forward until she was right in front of Imitae. "Imitae, I don't know why you think you need to fight us, but you don't have to. Neither Twilight, nor I, nor anyone else at Canterlot High wants to hurt you." She said softly, like a concerned parent soothing a frightened child. She held out her hand to Imitae, who glanced at it suspiciously.

"She's right, Imitae" 'Twilight' added clasping hands with 'Sunset'. This caused a flash of purple-and-gold light that filled both girls with a gentle, soothing warmth. 'Twilight' saw Imitae flinch and shut her eyes at this and continued. "We can see that you're scared, and suspicious. I was too when all this started, but it's all going to be okay, I promise"

"How...how can I be sure...that you're...telling the truth?" Imitae whimpered, her eyes darting from one girl to the other. One of her hands began to shake and she clenched it to her breast to stop it. "If you'd seen...what I've seen, than you'd learn to never trust..." She broke off again, sniffling. Tears fell from her eyes, flashing in the light that surrounded them.

"You have to trust someone, Imitae" 'Sunset' reasoned, and there was a flash of recognition in her eyes. "And _I_ promise that you can trust us" Again, 'Sunset' offered Imitae her hand. "Take our hands"

'Twilight' extended her hand as well and smiled eagerly at the changeling, who glanced at them with both fear and eagerness in her eyes. "You don't have to live alone with your fear." 'Twilight' let the pain in her voice speak clearly as bad memories flashed back in her head. Imitae seemed to pick up on that because the fear in her eyes seemed to dim. "There's another way to live, a better way."

'Sunset' nodded slowly, as if she understood exactly what 'Imitae' was thinking. "And we can show you that way. Like someone once showed each of us."

Imitae clutched both hands to her chest, stared at them, then frowned and turned away. She paused for a second, then glanced back, her eyes suddenly full of tears. "You..you promise?" She squeaked, her voice high pitched with pent-up emotion.

"We promise" 'Twilight' and 'Sunset' said simultaneously, and they both meant it. Imitae stared at them for a second, tears sliding uncontrollably not down her face and she slowly reached out with shaking hands and clasped the hands of both 'Twilight' and 'Sunset'. As she did, there was a small flash and a stream of gold and purple rose from each hand and wound their way up Imitae's arms and the girl shuddered and gave a great sigh, closing her eyes. As she did, the light around the three girls began to dim.

* * *

"What is_ that_?"Flash Sentry's shout made everyone glance up at the explosion of light above them. Students gasped as a large ball of light floated down through the hole in the gymnasium roof, bathing the entire room in a soft white glow. The ball hovered in the air for a moment, then slowly lowered down towards the very center of the gymnasium floor, causing students to scramble out of its way. The ball touched the floor, flashed once, then twice, then finally dissolved into a cloud of sparkles, expelling three occupants. Two were wearing identical purple costumes, hats and capes with emotionless blue masks covering their faces. The third figure, clutching the hands of the fist two, was wearing black and had green hair and grayish skin.

"What just happened?"

"Where did the light go?"

"Why is the gym wrecked?"

"Who are _they?"_

Students began chatting at once as they surrounded the three girls, so most them didn't notice the Rainbooms floating down to the ground, landing softly on the stage.

"Are they okay?" Fluttershy asked as they reverted back to human form, their ears, tails, and wings disappearing.

"Let's go see" Sunset suggested and the girls began pushing their way through the crowd, but Sunset held back and grabbed Twilight's arm as she was about to join them. When Twilight glanced at her, Sunset thrust the Cadence wig into her hands and nodded. "Just for fun" She whispered and winked.

Smiling sheepishly, Twilight jammed the wig on her head and tucked her purple hair underneath the white strands, becoming Cadence once more. "How do I look?" She whispered. Sunset smiled and gave her a thumbs up, then the two girls moved into the crowd.

"Excuse me! Coming through!" Rainbow hollered at the crowd, making them move aside to reveal the three girls, now all staring at the crowd around them. Imitae's eyes widened when she saw them approach and she shrank backwards somewhat fearfully. 'Twilight' and 'Sunset's expressions were unreadable, but both girls nodded at the Rainbooms' approach.

"Are you girls okay?" Twilight asked in her Cadence voice, drawing a confused look from Imitae and a snigger from the other girls.

"We're fine" 'Twilight' responded, stepping forward and pulling her mask off. Excited whispers broke through the surrounding students as they recognized Twilight. "How about you girls?"

"We're okay." Rainbow answered, then her eyes widened as a groan sounded not far away. "What was _that?_

Pinkie suddenly gave a dramatic gasp. "That sounded like Sonata!" With that, she darted across the small clearing and plunged into the crowd on the opposite side, which parted like a river, clearing a path to the three siren sisters, who were sitting up groggily. As Pinkie approached them, Aria and Sonata suddenly leaned in and threw their arms around Adagio, who started for a second, then hugged her sisters back.

"Are _you_ girls okay?" Pinkie asked, kneeling down next to them.

"Yeah, we're fine" Aria replied, glancing up at Pinkie. Then she looked past the pink-haired girl and saw Imitae. Her eyes narrowed. "No thanks to _her!"_ She growled fiercely. Imitae winced like Aria had struck her and her lip quivered for a second. 'Sunset' stepped in front of her, placed her hands on her hips and shook her head in warning at Aria. The siren scowled in response, but didn't say anything more.

"Don't be mad at Imitae" 'Twilight' scolded as Principle Celestia and Vice Principle Luna pushed through the crowd. "I think she's done playing the villain"

"She's right" Imitae's voice, meek and quiet, still made everyone freeze. "And I'm sorry. I'll understand if you never forgive me for what I did, there's no reason for you to. But just know that I never...I...I never...!" Imitae's voice broke, her lip quivered and silent tears began running down her face, and to everyone's surprise, Imitae suddenly collapsed onto her knees and began to quietly sob into her hands.

"Oh there there" Fluttershy darted forward and gently pulled one of Imitae's hands away from her tear-stained face. Imitae flinched, but offered no resistance. "There's no need to cry. I'm sure we can work all this out" She soothed, then she glanced at her friends. "Right?"

The other Rainbooms glanced at each other, but before any of them could speak, they heard a tiny and tense voice say

"Please...please..." Imitae glanced up at the other students, her face and eyes damp. She looked nothing like the Imitae they had faced a few minutes ago, she looked...broken. "I'll do whatever you want...but _please_ don't send me back to Equestria. _Please_!" She begged, her eyes glancing from student to student.

"Why wouldn't you want to go back to Equestria?" Fluttershy asked.

"Because back there, I'm a...a fugitive" She blurted out.

"A fugitive?" Applejack repeated. "As in an escaped criminal" She pondered aloud, to a chorus of nervous whispers.

Imitae shook her head. "No, as in there's a price on my head!" She replied, to a collection of gasps. "And If I go back to Equestria, I'll...I'll be killed!"

* * *

**Well, that's enough for now! **

**So now Imitae seems to be acting out of self-defense? What's up with that? **

**Stay tuned to hear Imitae explain herself! Hopefully this will answer any questions we have about her actions. **

**Glad to see that people appreciate the plot so far. But be warned, there are more plot twists yet! I know I said 1 or 2 more chapters 1-2 chapters ago, but I've decided to extend this story a bit, so be ready for anything! **

**Keep reading and reviewing! Let me know that you guys are alive out there!**

**Until Next Time! **


	35. Chapter 35

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Let's kick off another chapter, shall we?)**

**CH 35**

A collection of gasps rang out at Imitae's remark. Celestia and Luna looked stunned, as did Twilight and Sunset. Fluttershy had actually risen to her feet and backed away, her hand over her mouth and her eyes wide with horror.

Only Rainbow Dash did not looked horrified. She simply scoffed. "Oh come on! You're not all gonna fall for _that_ are you?" She addressed the assembled students. "This is a girl who put you under a mind control spell and had you attack us! She'd say anything to save her skin!"

"Kinda like what _I_ did once?" Sunset reminded Rainbow Dash, causing the girl's face to redden as she realized just what she was saying.

"Rudeness aside, Rainbow Dash _does_ present a valid point" Rarity spoke up. "How can we be sure she's telling the truth?" Her question was met with silence.

Principle Celestia stroked her chin thoughtfully and her gaze drifted to 'Twilight', along with over half the assembled students. Glancing around at all of them, 'Twilight's eyes met Twilight's, who subtly tapped her bracelet and stepped backwards into the crowd. There was a click in 'Twilight's ear "_I think Imitae's telling __the truth. She has no reason to lie anymore. Just say what I tell you"_ 'Twilight' tapped the button on her bracelet to show that she had understood.

"I believe her" 'Twilight' announced to the crowd. "I really don't see what reason she would have to lie about this"

"_Tell them that I was able to study changelings since one of their queens attacked my family in Equestria, and Imitae's behavior is not typical of a changeling drone." _Twilight's voice whispered

"I've been studying changelings since one of their queens attacked my family a few years ago, and I..."

"Chrysalis" Imitae suddenly hissed angrily, cutting 'Twilight' off.

"I'm sorry, what?" 'Twilight' asked.

Imitae turned to look at her and the venom in her gaze made 'Twilight' feel uneasy. "We changelings had survived for hundreds of years in Equestria in relative peace due to one simple fact, because no one in Equestria knew we existed. Queen Chrysalis's attack changed all that. Now everyone in Equestria knows about Changelings! Now they hunt us down, persecute us, segregate us, even going so far as to...!" Imitae's ranting paused when she saw fear and confusion emerging in the eyes of those around her and she seemed to deflate in front of them. "Well, let's just say I wouldn't be welcome by Equestria's populace." She added.

"And that's all assuming her own kind doesn't find her first" Adagio suddenly spoke up, causing everyone to look around. The golden-haired siren had struggled to her feet, but her eyes were hard.

"Adagio, what are you talking about?" 'Twilight' asked, noticing confusion appear on Sunset's face and alarm on Imitae's.

Adagio noticed these signs and quickly changed her tone. "Well, I remember Imitae telling me that some changeling queens will hunt down and kill changelings that are banished form other hives for sport." Adagio's statement made everyone gasp in terror.

"And that's what happened to you?" Applejack asked, turning back at Imitae, who sadly shook her head.

"Worse, the changelings that hunted me...were from _my own_ hive"

"No!" Fluttershy gasped, sinking to her knees, and Rarity swooned, falling into Applejack's arms.

"Yes! The queen that rules my hive is very sadistic and she loves torturing her drones. Even before I left my hive, life was very hard, but it only got worse after I ran away. I spent two years being chased all across Equestria by my members of my own hive on the orders of my own queen!" Imitae pounded the floor with a fist "Even with my abilities, I could barely keep ahead of them, and I couldn't ask anyone for help because I was worried they might be infiltrators. The only way I could be safe was...to never trust anyone, to always remain...alone" She ended, the misery in her words all too clear. Sunset and Twilight could see pity begin to show in the faces of the surrounding students. Vice Principle Luna was slowly nodding, almost like she understood and Rarity and Fluttershy actually wiped tears from their eyes.

"Wait, you ran away? I thought you were banished from your hive" Adagio said, cocking her head.

Imitae shook her head. "As you know Adagio, we changelings can assimilate the appearance of others. Often times we use this to gather emotional energy from families by abducting and replacing one of their members, or we assume a random disguise and feed off of any friendships we make. I was sent to a small village not far from the Equestrian capital. While I was there, I met a handsome guy who...well, let's just say my disguise was very attractive to him. We became good friends, and for a harvester like me, that was good enough. A steady source of love energy that I could take back to my hive, but he wanted to go farther. We began dating, and eventually, he proposed to me"

"Awwww" Pinkie crooned, her eyes big and wet, an action mirrored by a few other girls, which made Imitae smile happily for a moment.

"But, before we could say our vows, Chrysalis attacked. While she and the majority of her hive focused on Canterlot Palace, smaller groups were sent out to the surrounding villages to feed on the ponies there. One of those villages was the one I was in, and when my fiance took charge of the village defenses, I helped him and the other villagers in defending the village from the invading changelings. It was pretty easy for me actually, seeing as how I knew what their weaknesses were, plus I've always been a good fighter."

"Wow. I'd have loved to have seen that!" Rainbow exclaimed.

Imitae nodded, before continuing. "Unfortunately, whatever magic was used to defeat Chrysalis not only blew the changelings away, but it affected me as well, dissolving my disguise in front of all the villagers. As soon as they saw what I really was, they turned on me. I pleaded with them to stop, but they wouldn't even listen, especially my fiance who called me...a...an ugly leech with wings!" Imitae covered her face with her hands and began sobbing again.

"Aw. There there" Fluttershy soothed.

"That's gotta be rough" Pinkie added, shaking her head.

"But why didn't you just fight back?" Rainbow asked. "I mean, you fought against your own kind with no problem"

Imitae pulled her hands away from her face. "Because just as he had grown to love who he thought I was, I had grown to love him too, and all the other villagers. I had enough energy stored up that I could have defeated all of them easily but...the last thing I wanted for to hurt any of them. So instead I...ran. It wasn't long afterwards that changelings from my hive began coming after me. At first I thought they were trying to help me, but when one of them tried to shackle me, I immediately knew that my queen was trying to kill me, and I ran from them. And I've been running ever since." As Imitae finished her story, many students shifted uneasily. A handful looked like they were on the verge of tears. One of two looked outraged.

"That is one of the saddest stories I have _ever_ heard" Rarity sighed as she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.

"You said it" Applejack agreed.

"_Ask her why she stole the Star Stone"_ 'Twilight' heard Twilight whisper in her ear. She knelt down in front of Imitae and asked. "Imitae, does this have anything to do with you taking the Star Stone from my castle in Equestria?"

The changeling sighed. "It's funny, I had never planned to come here, to this...other world." Imitae gestured around her. "I had heard rumors of the Star Stone's ability to enhance magic, and I thought I could use it to fuel my own powers, so that I could escape the assassins my queen kept sending after me. All I wanted was to just leave Equestria behind, leave all my troubles behind, and make a fresh start somewhere else." Imitae chuckled and shook her head. "I guess I got my wish, for a little while at least"

"Yeah, I guess you did" 'Twilight' agreed, then glanced up at 'Sunset' who held her gaze for a minute and then slowly nodded.

"I'm really sorry" Imitae slowly rose to her feet. "About all of this. But I didn't know what to expect when I got here. I thought that maybe people in this world would act the same as ponies in Equestria. I was also worried that other changelings might find the portal and come here after me. That's why I wanted to take control of the students here so that if any changelings _did_ find their way here, I could fight them off."

Sunset exchanged a glance with the other Rainbooms, who were all smiling. Then she came forward and extended a hand. "It's okay Imitae. The method behind your madness was pretty clear, and I'm sure most of us would have done the same thing" She glanced around the crowd, and saw a lot of heads nodding.

"I'm sorry too" Adagio suddenly spoke up, also looking ashamed. "When Imitae first approached me, I thought she was nuts, but then I saw what the Star Stone could do and after she restored my powers...I got hooked." Adagio sighed and her shoulder sagged, causing Sonata to give her a friendly pat. "Imitae told me that once she had taken over the school, she would restore my sister's powers and we could live the same as we did before. Things have gotten a lot more difficult since we lost our siren abilities. I was only trying to make things better for us"

"Oh Dagi" Sonata laughed. "You didn't have to do that! Aria and I actually enjoy our new lives better than our old ones!" Aria nodded in agreement. "But it's super sweet to know you care about us that much!" Sonata swooped in and gave Adagio a great big hug. Aria placed a hand on Adagio's shoulder and smiled. A tear fell from Adagio's eye and she hugged Sonata back.

"So, let me see if I'm following you" Rainbow Dash thought aloud. "Imitae restored Adagio's powers and used her song to control the students here to protect herself from a possible attack from other changelings from Equestria."

"Wow." Aria gasped sarcastically. "Did you figure that out all by yourself?"

Rainbow Dash frowned at the siren while the other girls giggled. "Very funny Aria"

"Principle Celestia. Vice Principle Luna" Imitae and Adagio stepped forward until they were facing the two principle. "We're sorry" The said unanimously, their head lowered.

The two principles glanced at each other. "Well" Celestia finally said. "While I certainly cannot overlook what you have done" She motioned to the ruined gymnasium around them. Imitae and Adagio both winced at this. "I _can_ however, understand your motives for doing so. Adagio, you did this to make things better for you and your sisters. And I'm starting to guess that you weren't completely yourself most of the time" Celestia gave a knowing smile at the siren, who shot a dark look at Imitae, who tried her best to look small.

"As for you, Imitae" Luna stepped forward, a stern look on her face. "I still don't understand why you couldn't have just asked for help, in a civilized way." Imitae covered her face with her hands as Luna spoke. "But I think my sister would agree with me that sending you back with Twilight...is out of the question."

Imitae stared, then she gasped, her eyes widening. "You-you mean it?"

Luna smiled and nodded. "I have no desire to see someone live the rest of her life in fear." She said simply and gave Celestia a strange look. "Of course, the two of you are going to have to do something about this mess." She gestured to the gym. Suddenly, a bright flash came from 'Sunset's necklace and what looked like a comet of red energy erupted from the trinket and zoomed around the room. Anything broken that the comet touched magically repaired itself and in a matter of minutes the gymnasium looked like brand new. The students all oohed and awed as the comet made one last circuit around the gym and then dove back into 'Sunset's necklace. "Or not" Luna corrected herself as both principles turned to face 'Sunset' "Twilight, is this a friend of yours?" Luna asked.

'Twilight' was caught off guard. "Who, her? Um...she's...well she's..."

"_Tell them that she's a powerful unicorn sorcerer I brought with me from Equestria"_ Twilight whispered.

"She's...a powerful unicorn sorcerer that I brought with me from Equestria when I learned that Imitae was here!" 'Twilight' repeated rapidly, earning a confused look from the masked maiden.

"And does this powerful unicorn sorcerer have a name?" Celestia asked.

"Uh...yes, but she would rather not say it, or show her face for that matter" 'Twilight' quickly answered. 'Sunset' shook her head in agreement and took a step back.

"Oh, and why not?" Celestia raised an eyebrow, and her mouth curled up in a playful smile.

"Trust me, if you knew her name, or saw her face, it would get pretty confusing" 'Twilight' giggled nervously. "Besides, Halloween is supposed to be all about trickery and disguises, isn't it? My 'friend' thought it would be fun to fully embrace this human custom"

The principles exchanged a glance, then nodded. "Well, I guess we can respect that." Turning to the students Celestia announced. "Now, I think we have a Halloween party to continue!" The students cheered as Luna signaled to Vinyl in her booth, who nodded, spun a record on her finger and plopped it down on her turntable. A sick beat began blasting through the speakers and students began dancing, either alone, or in pairs.

'Twilight' turned to head towards the other girls, only to come face-to-face with Flash Sentry.

"Hey" He said simply, smiling at her.

"Um, hey" She said back, blushing slightly.

"Well, it sounds like you saved our bacon once again" Flash said, his smile growing. "Don't you ever get tired of it?"

"Tired..of..what?" 'Twilight' asked slowly

"Of being a hero." Flash answered, than quickly added. "Not that..you..know...there's anything wrong with being a hero, especially since you do it so...naturally"

"Really?" 'Twilight giggled and then her face flushed, as she glanced behind Flash and saw the Rainbooms and Twilight watching the scene with smirks on their faces.

"Really" Flash nodded, then to 'Twilight's surprise, he swept down into a graceful bow. "Would the hero of the hour care to share a dance with a 'humble count'? He asked dramatically in a Transylvanian accent.

'Twilight' laughed, then glanced up and saw Twilight nod. "This masked maiden would be delighted to, if you promise not to bite her" She replied, pulling back on her mask and hat.

"Cross my fangs and hope to fly" Flash winked at her, extending a hand. 'Twilight' took it and lead the masked girl away.

"That is...strangely beautiful" Sunset commented, watching the twosome push through the crowd.

"Ya think he'll get mad if he finds our that's not you he's dancin' with?" Applejack asked Twilight.

"I don't really think it matters to him." Twilight giggled. "And besides, it was the human Twilight and Sunset who saved Canterlot High this time. She's earned it."

"Um, speaking of which" Fluttershy drew their attention to 'Sunset' who approached the group.

"Hey...uh...'Sunset'" Twilight greeted the girl, after glancing sheepishly at Sunset.

"Um..I don't think we've officially met...yet" 'Sunset' replied in a low voice, glancing around.

Twilight got the hint and motioned the other girls towards the gym doors. "I don't think anyone will notice it we're gone for a few minutes". She suggested. "Come on girls"

"Ooh, this outta be good!" Pinkie squealed as the girls followed Twilight out of the gym.

* * *

Once in the hallway, the girls all followed Sunset and Twilight to the music room. Once they were inside, Twilight turned to 'Sunset'. "So, 'Sunset', let's see" She suggested.

'Sunset' hesitated, then slowly reached up and pulled off her hat and then her mask, revealing fair skin and blue eyes and a swirl of red-and-yellow hair. The other girls gasped as Sunset stepped forward until she and her double were face to face. For a moment, both girls just stared at each other in awe.

"Oh my stars!" Rarity finally broke the silence. "It's like looking in a mirror!"

"Even better because this double's not wearin' any makeup" Applejack commented, winking at Twilight, which made the girl roll her eyes.

"Wow. You two could be twin sisters" Fluttershy commented.

"Just imagine all the awesome pranks the two of you could pull" Rainbow said, her eyes glazing over.

"So Sunset, how does it feel to have a 'twin'?" Twilight asked teasingly.

"I...I had thought about this.." Sunset stammered, still sounding like she was in shock. "I mean..when we found out about the human Twilight, I briefly considered that there was probably another me here somewhere, but...now that I'm actually _seeing_ her in front of me..."

'Sunset ' laughed "It's quite a shock, isn't it? I know it was for me. When I saw you for the first time, back when I switched places with Aria before the party,I nearly passed out" She confessed, then extended her hand. "Well, it's nice to 'officially' meet you, Miss Sunset Shimmer"

Sunset smirked as she heard the others chuckle. "It's nice to officially meet you too, Sunset Shimmer" Sunset clasped 'Sunset's hand, and the second she did, there was a bright flash of amber-colored light and a cracking noise like electricity and both girls were pushed backwards, staring at their hands, which were glowing.

"What in Equestria?"

"What in the World?"

"Twilight, what happened?" Both girls asked at the same time, whirling to face Twilight. For a moment, there was silence, than everyone burst out laughing.

"Wow. You two _must_ be twins, you even _react_ alike!" Rainbow chortled, causing everyone to laugh harder.

"Well, you see..." Twilight started to explain, but there was a sudden knocking form outside and the music room door swung open to reveal Vice Principle Luna.

"Ah, there you girls are!" She said as she strode into the room. "The crowd was wondering if you'd be willing to do an encore performance for..." Luna froze as she saw Sunset and 'Sunset' standing next to each other, staring back at her. Her eyes widened and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. "What in the...!" Her voice squeaked from behind her hands.

* * *

**And that's it for another chapter. How will Luna react to there being two Sunsets? And what's up with 'Twilight' and Flash? To find out, stay tuned! **

**Bear with me people, we're almost done here. Just need to wrap up a few things. **

**Until next time! **


	36. Chapter 36

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Nothing like writing the day before a big trip to get the creative juices flowing!)**

**CH 36**

"Vice Principle Luna!" Sunset exclaimed, taking a step towards the shocked woman as she stood motionless gazing at the two girls. "I can explain..."

Luna suddenly snapped out of her trance, raising her fingers she pointed at both Sunsets. "You two! Stay there!" She barked sternly, than she whirled around and darted back out the door, ignoring Sunset's call to wait.

For a few seconds, there was silence. "Um, what was _that_ about?" Rainbow Dash finally asked.

"Well, how would _you_ react if you saw a pair of twins suddenly in front of you?" Rarity countered

"Good point" Rainbow admitted, looking down.

'Sunset' made a 'tskking' noise and shook her head sadly. "This is why I didn't want to unmask at the party" She complained. "Because I was afraid people might freak out like she did"

"Well, at least she didn't scream like 'Twilight' did when she met you" Spike said, glancing at Twilight, who rolled her eyes.

"Oh, was _that_ why she screamed?" Pinkie asked, her eyes widening. "I thought it was because she had seen the rat that lives in our kitchen."

"What?" Everyone gave her a startled, or disgusted, look.

"We've been trying to catch him" Pinkie assured them, "But he's _very_ sneaky"

"Remind me to bring rat-traps next time I come over to Pinkie's house" Applejack muttered to Rarity, who shuddered.

"So, now what?"

"I think I'd better get out of here" 'Sunset' decided, moving to put her mask back on. But before she could, the door burst open again.

"Luna! What are you trying to...?" Celestia protested as she was ushered into the room by her sister, but her voice fell when she looked up and saw two Sunset's staring back at her. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an O of astonishment. "Good heavens!"

"I told you" Luna crowed, a triumphant ring in her voice, though she also glanced at the twin girls with uncertainty.

Ignoring her sister, Celestia stepped forward slowly, her wide eyes darted from one Sunset to the other, an act which caused Pinkie and Rainbow to giggle. "Sunset Shimmer?"

"Yes?" Both girls replied simultaneously, then they glanced at each other, then back at Celestia and added "Which one?"

Pinkie, Applejack, and Rainbow burst out laughing at the startled look on Celesta's face. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight chuckled, and both Sunsets offered apologetic smiles.

"Um.._Our_ Sunset Shimmer" Celestia stammered uncertainly, motioning towards herself with her hands.

Both girls glanced at each other again. Finally Sunset spoke. "If you mean the girl who goes to Canterlot High, that's me"

Celestia stared at Sunset for a moment, then turned to look at the other one. "Then...who are you?"

"I'm _this_ world's Sunset Shimmer" 'Sunset' answered quickly, the corners of her mouth slowly curling up into an amused smile.

"Would both you you mind explaining this?" Celestia asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Um..if I may interrupt" Celestia visibly jumped as 'Twilight' suddenly appeared in the doorway. "I think I can help explain" 'Twilight' shot a pleading glance at Twilight as she spoke. Spike, Sunset, and Twilight glanced at each other and both Spike and Sunset nodded. Twilight smiled and nodded back to 'Twilight'.

"Oh, this oughta be good" Rainbow chortled as she noticed the head nodding, causing everyone else to chuckle, except for Celestia and Luna, who still looked confused.

"Twilight, do you know what is happening here?" Celestia asked as 'Twilight' walked into the room.

'Twilight' slowly nodded. "Um, firstly, yes I do" She reached into a pocket on her costume and pulled out her square glasses. "and secondly, _I'm_ not Twilight." She announced, placing her glasses over her eyes before turning and gesturing towards the disguised Twilight. "_She_ is"

Both principles glanced at Twilight, who reached up and pulled off her pink-and-white wig, revealing purple hair underneath, and their jaws dropped, causing further laughter from the girls. "But...how...?" Luna muttered, glancing back and forth between the two girls.

"Ha! Ha! I can't take it!" Rainbow snorted, laughing so hard she couldn't even stand up, which drew a scowl from Principle Luna.

Twilight glanced at Sunset, who nodded, before stepping forward to explain. "I'm not sure how clear this will be to the two of you, but the world I come from, the land of Equestria, is in a parallel or 'mirror' dimension to this one. And as such, these dimensions are very similar, like they're 'mirror images' of each other."

Both principle's eyes suddenly lit up and Celestia smiled. "So you're saying that _she_..." She gestured to 'Twilight' "is _our_ world's version of you? And she was masquerading as someone else so that no one would become confused when they saw two of you?" She asked, and Rainbow's smug expression melted into one of astonishment, one that was mirrored by most of the girls present.

"Exactly!" Twilight nodded, looking somewhat relieved.

"Well, at least now we know _why_ there was a Cadence pretender running around" Luna remarked, which surprised everyone.

"Wait, you _knew_ that Cadence was a fake the whole time?" 'Twilight' demanded

"That's right" Luna nodded, but her tone was surprisingly unhappy.

"So, do we get to hear the story behind your little game, now that it's over? Or are you still playing it?" Celestia asked, narrowing her eyes at the other students, who cringed at the angry tone in her voice. "I wonder how many other impostors we have in this room." She added before any of the girls could respond.

"I certainly hope there aren't any more. They're in enough trouble already." Luna agreed, crossing her arms. Upon seeing the confused looks on the girl's faces, her scowl deepened. "You _are_ aware that it's a crime to impersonate another person without their consent, aren't you?" The sudden sharpness in Luna's tone made the girls wince.

"Crime? But...I..."

"And now it's time for you to pay the price for your little game" Celestia cut Twilight off, then quickly strode to the door and opened it. "She's in here!" She called out into the hallway, then stepped aside as two police officers, one male and one female, entered the room. Both were wearing police caps low over their brows, and both were scowling. The male officer had white skin on his face and a strong chin. His short blue hair stuck out from under his cap at various angles. The female officer had pink skin similar to the color that Twilight's face was painted as, but a somewhat darker shade. Her hair was tucked into her cap.

"Which one?" The male officer growled.

"That's the one you want" Celestia pointed to Twilight. "And take that one as well!" She added, gesturing to Sunset.

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

"Don't try anything stupid you two!" The female officer barked in a rough voice. "There's nowhere to go! Come along quietly!" Before the two girls could protest, their hands were brought behind their backs and secured in handcuffs. The female officer roughly plopped the wig back on Twilight's head and arranged it so that Twilight's hair was hidden under it. 'Twilight' caught a sneer on the woman's face as she did this.

"Honest VP Luna, we didn't know that was a crime! We didn't mean no harm, We swear!" Applejack promised, raising her hand scout style, an action many of the girls copied.

"Be that as it may" The male officer replied. "A crime was still committed and you still have to pay the consequences. Now move!" He barked pushing Sunset forward.

"But officers, this is Halloween! This is like, the one night of the year, when it's okay to be someone else!" Pinkie stepped in front of them.

"Pinkie Pie, get out of the way!" Celestia ordered.

"It's not just that!" 'Sunset' also stepped forward. "If you're going to arrest them because of that, then you should arrest all of us. We were all pretending to be someone else!"

"Woah, that might be stretching it a bit..OW!" Rainbow argued, but was cut off when Applejack bopped her on the arm.

'Twilight' stepped up to the officers, who both suddenly fiddled with the low brims of their hats. "Officers, technically _I'm_ the one who impersonated Twilight here. So _I_ should be the one arrested!" She told them.

"No Twilight" Twilight pleaded, the cuffs on her arms rattling slightly. "Things here obviously work differently than in Equestria. If I've done something wrong, than I need to fix it!"

"And heaven knows I've got a lot to atone for" Sunset added, staring at the ground, her cuffed arms hanging limply behind her back.

"But girls...!" 'Twilight' began

"Be quiet Twily!" The male officer barked, causing 'Twilight' to jump. A tiny smile seemed to flicker across the officer's face in response to this.

"'Twily'?" 'Twilight repeated to herself as the officers gently moved her aside and began leading Twilight and Sunset towards the door. "Where have I...?" She muttered under her breath, thinking hard. Then she gasped very loudly and her face quickly shifted from a surprised look to a very angry one as she spun around. "SHINING ARMOR! IS THAT YOU?!" She screamed at the top of her voice, making everyone jump.

The two cops paused, looked at each other, and then burst out laughing. With a shaking hand, the male cop reached up and pulled off a hat, revealing short blue hair and cyan colored eyes. Twilight glanced up at him, and felt her jaw drop. He looked just like her brother would have looked if he had come here!

"It _is_ you!" 'Twilight' screeched angrily at her brother, who grinned at her triumphantly. "What were you thinking? Do you know how scared I was to see one of my friends in handcuffs?"

"Well I _hope_ you were scared Twily" Her brother chuckled, twirling his cap in his hands. "Otherwise this prank wouldn't have been any fun at all"

"Prank?" Rainbow Dash echoed, still looking confused.

Still looking bitter about being tricked, 'Twilight' glanced at the other girls. "This is Officer Shining Armor of the Canterlot Police Force, also known as my prank-loving older brother!"

"Nice to meet all of you" Shining Armor smiled at them as he pulled a set of keys from his belt and unlocked Twilight and Sunset's handcuffs.

"Thanks" The girls rubbed their wrists, glad to be free from their bindings.

"And by the way, it's Captain now" Shining turned back to his sister, motioning the the badge on his chest. "I got promoted two days ago."

"And got a new uniform" 'Twilight' huffed, looking up and down the navy blue jacket and matching trousers. "No wonder I didn't recognize you. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought it would be fun to surprise you" Shining Armor smiled, which made 'Twilight' get madder.

"You've got a sick sense of fun!" 'Twilight' snapped before turning her back. "I'm not speaking to you anymore!"

"Don't blame your brother, Twilight" The female cop spoke up, pulling off her cap. As she did, long purple, pink and white locks cascaded down her back. "Though he would love to take credit, this prank was all _my_ idea" She added, shaking hear head, causing her hair to fan out like a shiny wave of pink and white, which lead to a blush appearing on Shining Armor's face and for Celestia and Luna to giggle.

"Wow! She's beautiful!" Rarity breathed, looking awestruck. Twilight felt her eyes widen too, but for a completely different reason.

"Uh, Ah don't mean ta be rude Miss, but who are you?" Applejack asked the woman. But Twilight had a sinking feeling she knew who the woman was, based solely on her looks.

Still wearing an amused smile, Celestia stepped forward. "Everyone, I would like you to meet my niece" She paused for dramatic affect, and then added "...the _real_ Cadence"

"WHAT?" Everyone gasped, which made Cadence chuckle.

"Actually, my full name is Mi Amore Cadenza, but my friends and family all call me Cadence" She corrected. "I'm one of the top legal executives for Crystal Heart Incorproated"

'Sunset' and 'Twilight's jaws dropped. "That's one of the biggest legal firms in Canterlot City!" 'Sunset' exclaimed.

Cadence nodded, and her smile widened. "I've dealt with a lot of drama and role-playing in my job, so when I heard that _someone_..." She slowly and deliberately turned to look at Twilight as she spoke. "Was using _my_ name and appearance, well...I just _had_ to see this for myself." She circled Twilight slowly like a shark circles its prey, her eyes running over every inch of Twilight's disguise. "Impressive" She finally concluded, coming to stand in front of her. "A little short and the coloring is a _bit_ off, but it's not too bad of a likeness."

"She even has a voice that sounds similar to your own." Celestia added.

"Oh really?" Cadence glanced back to Twilight, whose blushing cheeks were showing even through the makeup. "Say something!"

Twilight hesitated, glancing around at the eager faces around her, then took a deep breath. "What exactly do you want me to say, Miss Cadence?" She asked in her 'Cadence' voice, which was only slightly off tone from the real woman's voice. Cadence's jaw dropped and Shining Armor burst out laughing.

"You know, that's not a bad imitation" He commented, causing Cadence to shoot him a glowering look.

"Luna and I thought the same as well when we first met her" Celestia said, nodding her approval

"We originally thought that someone was pulling a Halloween prank on us" Luna added. "But we never expected..._this_" She turned to two Sunsets, who were standing next to each other on the risers.

Cadence and Shining Armor's eyes widened as the saw the two twin girls next to each other for the first time. "Wow"

"You can say that again" Cadence added, her voice now hushed.

"Okay, can we stop with the whole 'let's stare at the freaky twins thing'?" 'Sunset' asked. "It's getting creepy"

"Freaky?" Sunset exclaimed, facing her twin. "Are you saying I'm freaky?"

"I'd say everything that happened tonight would qualify as 'freaky' in my book" 'Sunset' sighed, suddenly sitting down on one of the risers. "  
Otherworldly twins, Shape-shifting creatures, mind-controlling sirens, the magical makeovers Twilight and I got, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around that last one!"

"Shape-shifting creatures?" Shining Armor's eyebrow rose

"Mind control?" Cadence turned to Celestia. "Auntie, what is she talking about?"

"A fair question" Celestia answered, before turning to the girls. "As long as we are all here, why don't you girls tell us the whole story?"

The girls all looked at each other. "Where should we start from?" Sunset finally asked.

"How about from the very beginning?" Celestia suggested in a firm tone. That, and the way she crossed her arms sent a clear message that she would not take no for an answer.

"Well..."

"Wait" Twilight cut off Sunset. "If you want to know the _entire_ story, than there's a few people missing"

Sunset instantly understood. "Imitae and the sirens?"

Twilight nodded, then glanced at her twin. "Could you get them?"

'Twilight' pulled off her glasses and nodded. Sticking them back into the pocket of her costume, she quickly moved to the door. Pulling her mask and hat back on, she darted out of the room.

"So, the actually story for this begins a few days ago..." Twilight began by describing Imitae's theft of the Star Stone from her castle and how her disappearance in Equestria and the sudden appearance of 'Twilight' at CHS had lead Twilight to assume that Imitae had escaped to this world and was posing as her. Sunset then explained how the two of them had come up with the 'Cadence' disguise so that Twilight could investigate her double without causing confusion and panic.

"But why wouldn't you just confront Imitae if you knew who she was?" Cadence asked.

"Well, we weren't entirely sure it was Imitae yet." Twilight admitted. She went on to explain how she had eventually deduced that 'Twilight' was _not_ Imitae, and then noticed Imitae confronting 'Twilight', thinking she was her. When Twilight got to the part where she revealed her identity to her double Shining Armor laughed at how 'Twilight' reacted.

"That sounds like my little sister." He chortled.

Twilight explained how she had figured out that Imitae had been working with Adagio to control all the staff and students at CHS and how she had captured 'Twilight' to keep her from interfering, and how the girls had come up with this plan to rescue her. Twilight was just getting to the part where Imitae had captured them when the door suddenly opened and 'Twilight' reappeared, followed by Sonata, Aria, Adagio, and Imitae. The latter two froze in the doorway when they saw the Shining Armor and Cadence, but 'Twilight' herded them inside the room.

"So, why exactly would Imitae do all this?" Cadence asked, looking at the Changeling in a way that it made Imitae cringe. Taking turns, the girls explained Imitae's reason for coming here, and what happened after that, with the revelation of 'Sunset', and the big magical battle that followed.

"Looks like you Rainbooms had quite an eventful Halloween night" Celestia commented. Luna nodded in agreement.

"Oh speaking of Rainbooms" Imitae spoke up. "The crowd is demanding you do an encore performance, like right now!" The sirens nodded, causing the girls to glance at one another, then at Celestia, who nodded.

"Awesome! Let's go!" Rainbow exclaimed, rushing towards the door, followed by the others.

Twilight and Sunset made to follow, but noticed that neither of their doubles had moved, and neither had Imitae or the sirens. "Are you coming?" Sunset asked.

"We'll catch up." 'Sunset' assured them, 'But there's something we all need to talk about first" She gestured to the remaining people as she spoke, drawing a lot of confused looks. Twilight and Sunset glanced at each other. "Go on! Don't keep your fans waiting!" 'Sunset' urged.

"But first..." Twilight' darted over and pulled the Cadence wig off. "I think you should play yourself from now on" She said, wiping the makeup off with a damp rag that had appeared out of nowhere.

"But what about...?" Twilight started to ask, but 'Twilight' began pushing her towards the door.

"Go on! We'll catch up!" She demanded humorously as she herded the two girls out into the hall and closed the door behind her.

* * *

"RAINBOOMS! RAINBOOMS! RAINBOOMS!" Twilight and Sunset heard the chanting coming down the hall and they quickened their pace. They burst into the gymnasium just as the crowd erupted in cheers as the other girls mounted the stage. Pushing their way through he crowd, Twilight and Sunset joined the others on the stage.

"What kept you two?" Rainbow Dash hollered to them as she waved out at the cheering crowd.

"Oh nothing!" Twilight answered. "So, any ideas what song we should play?"

"I've got one!" Fluttershy called out. "How about 'Rainbow Rocks'? The one we wrote shortly after the Battle!"

"Works for me!" Applejack approved as she picked up her base

"Me too!" Rarity agreed, keying up her key-tar.

"Me three!" Pinkie added, twirling her drumsticks.

"Can you remember the lyrics Twilight?" Sunset called as she shouldered her guitar and plugged it in.

Twilight stepped up to the mike. "No problem!"

"Al right Pinkie! Count us off!" Rainbow strummed her guitar, which made the audience roar.

"ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!" Pinkie chanted, then began pounding out a beat on her drums while Sunset and Applejack accompanied on their instruments, while the other girls began clapping in time. This clapping soon spread to people in the audience and it wasn't long before the entire gymnasium echoed to the sound of hands clapping.

"_We used to fight with each other _

_(O-wah-O-wah-O-wah-O!)_

_"But that was before we discovered"_

_(O-wah-O-wah-O-wah-O!)_

_"That when your friendship is real"_

_(O-wah-O-wah-O-wah-O!)_

_"Then you should say what you feel!" _

_"Then the music...yeah the music, takes us to the top!_

_As we learn how the Rainbow...The Rainbow Rocks!" _

The girls began jamming on their instruments as the crowd exploded into a mess of cheering, whistling, and dancing bodies.

"_Ya can pick up a base"_ Applejack started the second verse

_(O-wah-O-wah-O-wah-O!)_

_And you can play the guitar!"_ Rainbow added

_(O-wah-O-wah-O-wah-O!)_

_"You can bang on the drums"_ Pinkie continued

_(O-wah-O-wah-O-wah-O!)_

_"Or you can sing like a staaaaaaar!"_ Rarity sang out

_"And the music...yeah the music, gets us to the top!_

_As we learn how the Rainbow...The Rainbow Rocks!" _

As the girls sang, Twilight noticed the doors open and Celestia, Luna, appeared, followed by Shining Armor and Cadence, who had her hair tucked back under her police cap, and who was holding Shining Armor's hand. Imitae was holding Cadence's other hand and the changeling was looking _much_ happier. She glanced up at Cadence happily as the group began to move through the crowd.

_As we learn how the Rainbow...The Rainbow Rocks!"_ As the girls repeated the chorus, the group parted in the middle of the floor and Twilight saw the sirens were chatting with 'Twilight' who was disguised as 'Cadence'. Next to her, Twilight saw 'Sunset' but her hair was a different shade and her skin tone was darker. Twilight caught Sunset's eye and saw that she had noticed too. 'Sunset' noticed them looking, elbowed 'Twilight' and the two girls pushed through the crowd towards the stage followed by Imitae and the sirens.

As the girls ended the song, the small groups reached the stage. Amidst the wild applause of the audience, Twilight and Sunset knelt down to speak with them. "Nice look" Sunset commented, running a critical eye over her double's new appearance, which made Imitae and the sirens chuckle.

"Thanks" 'Sunset' replied blandly, but her eyes twinkled.

"Hey, give her a break, it was the best we could come up with on such short notice" Imitae came to 'Sunset's' defense.

"_You_ sound excited about something!" Twilight commented to Imitae, noticing how fidgety the changeling was.

"Oh I am!" Imitae exclaimed dramatically. "You see Twilight, I've just been adopted!"

* * *

**And Cut! **

**ADOPTED?! Well, will wonders never cease. Who are the lucky parents? And what will happen to everyone else? To find out, stay tuned!**

**My apologies if the explanation seems a bit rushed, but I figured the story should explain itself. If there was something you didn't understand, just look back at the previous chapters for an explanation. **

**Almost there folks! A few more scenes to go, including some last loose ends, a new song, and a funny encounter at the end. **

**As always, please R&amp;R (Read and Review)**

**Until next time!**


	37. Chapter 37

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(And after many jet-lagged hours later, here is the next chapter!)**

**CH 37**

"You've been WHAT?" Twilight and Sunset exclaimed at Imitae.

"No you haven't!" 'Twilight' and Sunset' both corrected in loud voices. "Tell them the truth!

"Okay! _Okay!_" Imitae giggled. "I haven't _actually_ been adopted, but this world's Twilight and Sunset _have_ given me a place to stay _and_ a job!"

"Really?" Everyone now turned to look at the two girls.

"It's really not much of a job" 'Sunset' explained "We asked Imitae if she could help us around our laboratory as a...gofer." Seeing confusion on their faces, 'Sunset' chuckled. "You know...go for this, go for that, basically be an assistant. And since we have some extra beds, we offered for her to stay with us.

"She'd be doing us a favor anyway, because our regular lab assistants quit shortly before all this happened." 'Twilight' added.

"Why?"

"I'm not quite sure, but they seemed very angry about something" 'Twilight' mused.

"Maybe they were tired of back-to-back all-nighters" Spike joked, causing Twilight to scowl at him. But from the way 'Sunset' and 'Twilight' glanced at each other just then, Spike may have had a point.

"Oh wow! That means we get to throw you a new home party! OOH, I'm so excited!" Pinkie squealed.

"Better make that a party for four!" Adagio spoke up "Because _we're_ moving in too!" She placed her hands on the shoulders of her sisters as she spoke.

"You _are_?" 'Sunset' asked, sounding as confused as she looked. Adagio's grin faded and the sirens turned, at one, to look at 'Twilight'.

'Twilight' gasped. "Oh yeah, I didn't get a chance to tell you" She looked embarrassed. "Adagio told me that she and her sisters don't have a home, so I offered them a place to stay at our building."

"Don't have a home?" Pinkie repeated, her eyes wide.

Adagio shook her head and gave a sad smile. "When we lost our siren powers after the battle, we lost our old way of life entirely, including our method of securing shelter. You'd be surprised how simple our singing made everything, people falling all over themselves to please us. We would just sing a few words and people would open their homes to us like we were family." Adagio sighed and her smile faded. "That all changed after the battle, we were forced to sleep on the street. It was fortunate that we were able to find jobs or we would have starved by now. But those jobs don't cover the cost of housing, we've checked."

"And you didn't think to ask me first?" 'Sunset' asked 'Twilight, who winced. "You didn't think that maybe I would have a problem with this idea?"

"Well...I assumed you'd be okay with it. I mean our laboratory and apartment dos take up the entire basement of the building and you _did_ say there was that one big room that wasn't getting used, so I thought that..." 'Twilight's ranting was cut off when 'Sunset' placed a finger over the girl's mouth.

"Twilight, how can you be so smart, and still not recognize sarcasm when you hear it?" 'Sunset' asked, causing 'Twilight' to gasp angrily and everyone else to laugh.

"So does that mean...?" Adagio probed hopefully.

'Sunset' nodded. "We're already accepting one new neighbor, I guess three more won't hurt." As these words, Sonata squealed with joy and enveloped 'Sunset' in a crushing hug.

Oh thankyouthankyyouthankyouTHANKYOU!" She cried, her voice muffled because her face was buried in 'Sunset's costume.

"No problem" 'Sunset' laughed awkwardly, prying Sonata off her. "Be warned though, it's not going to be very fancy."

"Are you kidding?" Aria snorted with amusement. "We've been living in boxes for the last month! Our standards aren't exactly set very high right now"

"You been living in WHAT?" Rarity gasped, looking horrified.

"Hey, we were homeless, remember?" Aria snapped.

"But, isn't there a homeless shelter you could stay at?" Fluttershy asked. "I mean, I _know_ there is one, and they would never turn anyone away" At the mention of 'Homeless shelter', all three sirens shifted uncomfortably and glanced uneasily at each other.

"What? What's wrong?" Pinkie asked. The sirens didn't answer, but continued to look uneasy.

"Girls?" Applejack's eyes narrowed. "What happened at the shelter?" Next to her, Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and Fluttershy's face paled.

Adagio lowered her gaze to the floor. Sonata's lip trembled, and Aria's eyes hardened. "Let's just say we're not exactly welcome at the homeless shelter" Aria growled.

"What do ya mean?" Applejack asked.

"Well...long story short. We were at the shelter a few months ago, and there were a couple of guys there that took an 'interest' in us, and we didn't want to 'hang' with them, things got ugly." Aria explained.

Fluttershy's already pale face turned white. "Then..._you_ did all that?" She gasped.

"Did all _what?"_ Applejack probed, but Fluttershy simply shook your head.

"Trust me Applejack. You do _not_ want to know" She gave her friend a solemn look.

"It was back when we were still feeling bitter about our loss. We're not like that anymore!" Sonata argued, mostly to 'Twilight' and 'Sunset' whose faces sported identical horror-struck looks. "You have no idea what it's been like for us!"

"I do" Sunset suddenly spoke up. Everyone looked at her, surprised to see pain on the girl's face. "I remember when I first arrived here from Equestria. I didn't know anyone or have anywhere to go. Then, on only my second night here..." Sunset's voice cut off and she felt tears building up behind her eyelids.

"Oh Sunset" Rarity's eyes widened and she clasped her hands over her mouth as realization hit her, an action soon followed by nearly every other person in the group. Rainbow and Applejack placed supporting hands on Sunset's shoulders, which made the girl look up at them through watery eyes.

"Basically, if what I think happened happened, then I don't blame you three at all for doing what you did" She said to the sirens, whose fearful expressions melted into grateful smiles.

"Thank you Sunset. I thought _you_ might understand, even if no one else here did" Sunset felt a tear slip out from her eyes at Adagio's words. The siren reached over and delicately brushed it off Sunset's face. Sunset felt her face redden for some reason, but couldn't quite explain it.

"Okaaay, can we talk about something else?" Pinkie asked, glancing from one girl to another. "This story is taking a really dark turn all of a sudden" She shivered, as if to emphasize the point.

'Sunset' nodded, then turned back to the sirens. "The point is, you three are welcome to move in with Imitae and us. And since you all have jobs already, we won't ask you to help us in the lab, though..." She paused and exchanged a glance with 'Twilight' before continuing. "We wouldn't say no to a change to study natives of Equestria."

"Or Equestrian magic" 'Twilight' added, glancing at the other girls. "We're very curious as to how it works and what kind of effect it has on others"

"Well, I know a certain scientist who can help answer both questions" Applejack chuckled, glancing at Sunset who felt her face redden.

"Sunset's already been doing research on us to determine how Equestrian magic works in this world" Rarity explained to the others.

"Well since I'm the one who brought Equestrian magic here in the first place, it's only fair I find out how it works" Sunset said sheepishly

"I like your attitude" her twin commented. "But when it comes to research, six eyes are often better than two. Plus we have state-of-the-art equipment that can help with that."

"We can figure this out. I know it!" 'Twilight' vowed, an excited gleam in her eyes. Sunset felt herself smile and nodded eagerly.

"Great" Rainbow Dash muttered. "Sunset gets to work with scientists, while the rest of us become lab rats"

"Oh I think I'll be spending plenty of time as a 'lab rat' as well, Rainbow Dash" Sunset joked in response. "Probably more so than you!"

"Well, you'll have to share your discoveries with me the next time I see you" Twilight placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder.

"You're leaving?" Her double asked in horror. "But why?"

"I'm a princess, remember? I have duties back home" Twilight explained to them, then glanced at Spike, who was sitting by her side. "And it's time I got back to them"

Spike nodded, then paused to consider and his face fell. "Hey wait! I didn't get to meet _my_ twin yet!" He complained.

The girls around him laughed and 'Twilight' knelt down to scratch Spike behind the ears. Spike shuddered happily and let out a blissful moan. "Oh, that feels _good"_

"Trust me Spike, you're not missing out on much" 'Twilight' said as she stood back up.

"Well, if you're going back to Equestria, than we should probably give these back. 'Twilight' and 'Sunset' reached for the star-shaped pendants around their necks, but Twilight stopped them

"Keep them" She said, to a chorus of gasps.

"What?" 'Twilight' and 'Sunset' both stared at her stunned.

"Are you _sure_ about this, Twilight?" Spike asked. "Isn't the Star Stone partially the reason we came here in the first place?"

"But it's not the Star Stone anymore, is it?" Twilight countered. "I don't know exactly why the stone would change into these amulets, but the elements of harmony did a similar kind of transformation when me and my friends bonded with them back in Equestria. I feel, like they were meant for the two of you, and it would be wrong to take them back.

"You're sure about this?" 'Sunset' asked.

Twilight nodded. "I'm sure. Like I said, I don't know the reason why the stone did this, so I'm counting on the two of you to find out why. You think you can do that?" She smirked at them.

'Sunset' smirked back at her. "Challenge accepted" She replied, clasping Twilight's hand.

"Hey Rainbooms!" A yelled voice made the girls look up. "What's the holdup? This is a party, where's the music?"

"Yeah! Play some more music!" A girl called over.

"Rainboom rock and roll!" A deep voice yelled out over the crowd, which soon began chanting the phrase 'rock and roll' over and over again.

"Well, you heard the crowd!" Rainbow exclaimed happily. "Let's rock!"

"Alright!"

"Roger that!"

"Fabulous!"

"Um...okay"

Sunset didn't say anything, but simply hoisted herself onto the stage. Then she paused and grabbed the microphone. "Hey Twilight" She called, tossing the mic to the surprised girl. "Time for one more song before you go home?"

Twilight paused, noticing the eager faces of the others, then smiled. "Sure" She reached out a hand and was hoisted up to the stage by Sunset. "What song?"

"Do you remember the lyrics of that song we were working on at the sleepover?" Sunset asked.

Twilight's smile widened until it was from ear to ear. "You bet I do"

"Prove it" Sunset challenged, her eyes narrowed playfully, then signaled to Pinkie, who twirled, the tapped her drumsticks.

"1! 2! 3! 4!"

Rarity started out the song, tapping out a melodious entrance on her key-tar in response to Pinkie's drumbeat. One by one, the other girls added onto the beat, as Twilight tapped her foot in time, then raised the mic to her lips and sang.

"_Oooooh, yeah!_"

"_Hey, hey, we may seem different, as night from day_

_But here in our world, we see things a different way"_

_"If you look a little deeper, you may see,_

_That I am just like you and you just like me!_

_YEAH!_"

The other girls struck a series of chords on their instruments and Twilight tossed the mic to Sunset, who opened the second verse.

_"Hey, hey, wake up now!_

_We're sending this song out to the crowd_

_Sing out loud, tall and proud,_

_let voices ring from all around!"_ Sunset nodded at Rarity, who took over the lyrics

_Be generous with honesty"_

_through laughter, kindness, loyalty"_ Applejack continued, smirking at the others

_If you only learn to see"_ Fluttershy added, her voice surprisingly loud and clear

_You could be all you can beeeeee!"_ Rainbow Dash finished, to a chorus of cheers from the audience.

_"We are Equestria Girls and we're here to shout,_

_That the magic of friendship is what it's all about!_

_We're Equestria girls, standing side-by-side_

_Finding the magic of friendship deep inside"_

_Equestria girls! Yeah!"_ The girls struck poses as the audience hooted with glee.

_"Twilight Sparkle, a princess that shines!"_ Pinkie Pie cheered, pointing with a drumstick

_"Fluttershy, so sweet and kind!"_ Twilight gestured to the pink-haired girl, who blushed.

_"Applejack has a country flair!"_ Fluttershy smiled to the country girl, who tipped her hat

_"Rarity knows just what ta wear!"_ Applejack nodded to the fashionista, who flipped her hair gracefully

_"Everyone wants Rainbow Dash on their side!"_ Rarity motioned to the guitar player, who strummed a chord

_"No one's more fun than Pinkie Pie!"_ Rainbow Dash winked at the drummer, who squealed happily

_"And Sunset Shimmer showed us all,_

_How to rise up when you fall"_ Sunset blushed as Twilight mentioned her before adding the final lines

_"So choose your face for a new day,_

_and dazzle life in your own waaaaaaaaay!"_ Sunset noticed Imitae, 'Twilight', 'Sunset' and the sirens smile as they recognized the significance of the lyrics. As Sunset held out the last note, Twilight motioned for the girls to join them and the stage soon supported 13 girls moving and grooving to the music.

_"We are Equestria Girls and we're here to shout_

_That the magic of friendship is what it's about!_

_We're Equestria Girls and we're here to say,_

_We're gonna see things a different way!"_

_"Equestria Girls! Yeah!"_

As the song ended, the crowd applauded and screamed itself hoarse. Cadence and Shining Armor were among those cheering while Principle Celestia and Principle Luna politely applauded. As the girls gathered in a big group hug on the stage, none of them noticed the sincere smile on Imitae's face that was buried in the tangle of bodies. Nor did anyone notice the tears that were silently running down her cheeks.

* * *

The next morning was a Saturday, so school was closed and locked up tight. Despite this, a large group of people were milling around on the lawn of Canterlot High near the Wondercolt statue.

"Oh, I certainly wish you didn't have to leave right now, Twilight" Rarity pouted as she helped adjust the straps of Twilight's new backpack.

"You and me both Rarity" Twilight smiled and hugged her friend. "But while it's been great being here again, I have other friends back home, friends who are probably worried about me right now."

"Pssttt! What have they got to be worried about? They think you can't handle yourself in a 'strange new world'?" Rainbow quoted the last three words with her fingers. "Oh, and for the record, I still don't think my nose is tiny" She said, making the other girls laugh.

Twilight giggled, then sighed. "That's just it though. My friends in Equestria know almost nothing about this world, or about any of you, except from what I've told them."

"Oh _really?"_ Applejack's tone made Twilight pause and she glanced back to see the farm girl rummaging in her bag. "Well then, maybe these'll...help" She pulled out what looked like a letter, which was marked with three red apples. Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie also pulled letters out fo their bags, each stamped with the cutie mark of their equestrian counterparts.

"Wh-what are these?" Twilight asked as the other girls handed her the letters.

Rarity giggled. "They're letters, darling! From us to your friends in Equestria!"

"We got the idea from the book that Sunset uses to write to you" Fluttershy admitted, beaming happily as she stroked Angel's white fur.

"We figure, any friends of yours are friends of ours, even if they live in another world" Applejack reasoned. "And there's no reason why we can't get ta know yer friends in Equestria, and them us."

"Sort of an inter-dimensional pen-pal thingy!" Pinkie summarized from the top of the statue. She leapt off, did a mid-air somersault, and landed neatly on the grass.

"Wow, that's...really thoughtful of you girls" Sunset commented as Twilight felt her smile widen.

"Thank you. I'm sure they'll love these." Twilight placed the letters carefully into her backpack, next to a large manila envelope. Upon noticing it, Twilight burst into a fit of smothered giggles.

"What's so funny?" Sunset asked, then her eyes fell on the envelope and widened. And then she too starting giggling uncontrollably.

"Ya wanna clue us in?" Applejack raised an eyebrow

Sunset shook her head. "I don't think you'd get it" She said between giggles. Applejack gave her a look, but didn't say anything more.

"Look! They're here!" Fluttershy suddenly announced, rising to her feet.

The girls looked up to see a pair of cars pull up to the curb. Principle Celestia, Imitae, Adagio, and Aria emerged from the first car, while Principle Luna, Sonata, 'Sunset', and 'Twilight' emerged from the second car.

"Oh good! We were afraid we would miss you!" Celestia called as they strode over to the others.

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say a word...

"BARK! BARK! BARK!" An excited yipping cut through the air. Smiling widely, 'Twilight' knelt down and unzipped her backpack. A purple head with green ears popped out.

"Awwww!" Twilight knelt down to get a better look at the dog. "Look Spike, it's your twin!" Spike's eyes widened as he watched his personal double leap out of 'Twilight's bag and scamper over to them. The two dogs were instantly nose to nose with each other. Spike stood stock still, while 'Spike' quickly circled around, sniffing every inch of his new friend. His tail wagged furiously and he barked happily, which made Spike jump backwards. 'Spike' probably seeing this as a request to play, leapt forward and tackled Spike to the ground.

"Get off of me!" Spike wrestled him off and made a break for it, causing 'Spike' to chase him around the front yard. "Keep away! Help!" He cried, to the great amusement of all that were present. "Twilight! Save me!" Spike called finally, taking a flying leap and landing in Twilight's arms. He shivered as 'Spike' circled around Twilight, barking all the way, then reared up and placed his fore-paws on Twilight's boot and gazed up at the girl expectantly.

"Alright Spike, come here" 'Twilight' reached down and scooped up the panting dog, cradling him in her arms.

"What's the matter Spike? Not enjoying having a twin?" Rainbow teased before laughing again.

Spike, who was still in Twilight's arms, shot the girl a dark look. "Are you kidding? That thing is _nothing_ like me!" He argued, which only made Rainbow laugh even harder. As Twilight set Spike down, he gazed up at her. "Can we go home now?"

Twilight sighed. "Yes, Spike. We can go home now" Smiling sadly, she turned to face her friends, both new and old. "I guess this is it"

"I know." 'Twilight' sighed happily. "I wish you didn't have to go"

"It's not forever" Sunset assured her. "As long as the portal is open, Twilight can come back and visit anytime she wants"

"True" 'Sunset' added. "But what about you?"

"What?"

"Are you going back to Equestria with Twilight?" 'Sunset' asked.

Sunset looked thoughtful for a second. "Well...maybe one day. But I think I'll be pretty busy here for a while."

"I was actually hoping you'd say that" 'Sunset' smiled and the two girls clutched hands. As they did, 'Sunset's necklace glowed faintly and both girls were enveloped in a halo of golden light and rose slowly into the air.

"This is going to take some getting used to" Celestia commented, mostly to her sister, who nodded as the two girls floated back down to the ground.

'Twilight' turned from the two girls and looked her double in the eyes. "Bye!" She whispered, before giving Twilight a one-handed hug. There was a flash of purple and a soothing rush of warmth flooded both girls. Twilight giggled as 'Spike' covered her face in kisses.

"Well, good bye everyone!" Twilight announced as she stepped away from her double towards the portal.

"Bye!"

"See Ya!"

"So Long!"

"Take Care!"

"We'll miss you!"

"Make sure you deliver those letters!"

"Don't forget to write!"

"Give our regards to the others!"

"Hasta La Vista!"

"Arrivederci!"

"Au Revoir!"

"Adios!"

Twilight, who was almost at the portal, turned for one last look. Seeing all her friends smiling and waving at her, Twilight gave them a final wave before stepping through the barrier.

* * *

**And Cut!**

**I hope you enjoyed the song. For those of you who haven't guessed, this is a mixture of the cafeteria song from the first film and the Equestria Girls Anthem from the live action music video. In my opinion, these are two of the best songs in the film franchise and because they are so similar, it made sense to put them together.**

**Remember, I do not own Hasbro, My Little Pony, or anything associated or connected with them! So please do not accuse me of anything! **

**For those of you who are wondering about what 'thing' happened to the Sirens and to Sunset, I'm not telling! See if you can figure out what happened. (Of course, I'm betting half of the readers can guess right off the bat what happened)**

**It may seem like this story is over BUT IT ISN'T! So please don't tune out just yet! There's still more stuff coming!**

**As always, please R&amp;R and don;t forget to comment!**

**Until next time! **


	38. Epilogue

Tang Ri Shan

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Seeing Double**

**(Finally, after much deliberation...!)**

**Epilogue**

WOOOAAAOOOAAAAOOOOOAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Twilight screamed as she fell through the swirling pink-and-white vortex before finally flying out and landing spread eagle on the cold floor. She groaned and shook her head to clear away the lights that were still dancing before her eyes.

"TWILIGHT!" A chorus of voices, followed by a clattering of hooves and the concerned embrace of her friends confirmed to Twilight that she was back in Equestria.

"We're so glad you're back!" Pinkie's voice rang in her ear as Twilight squirmed uncomfortably. It felt like the pink pony was squishing her.

"Uh thanks girls, but I do need to breathe at some point!" She croaked, and instantly she felt the pressure lessen as her friends backed away, each muttering apologies.

"So, what happened over there?" Applejack asked. "Were ya able to defeat Imitae and rescue the Star Stone?"

"A very good question, Applejack!" A regal-sounding voice made everypony look up as two new ponies entered the room, one white and one dark blue, both with manes that flowed on invisible wind.

Twilight gasped. "Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! What are you doing here?"

"We heard about the theft of the Star Stone" Luna replied, looking rather unemotional, but her voice betrayed concern.

Celestia was more direct with her feelings as she lowered her head to Twilight. "Are you okay?" She asked in a voice that showed just how concerned she was.

Twilight smiled and gave the princess a friendly nuzzle, comforted by her mentor's concern for her. "I'm fine. And the threat has been dealt with." She reported.

"Oh?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "Then why do I not see the Star Stone with you? Unless you have it in that satchel upon your back."

Twilight shook her head. In as little detail as possible, she explained everything that had happened. Celestia and Luna agreed that Twilight's assumption that her double was Imitae was logical. They showed concern when Twilight mentioned the Sirens, but were satisfied with Twilight's assurance that the Sirens were no longer a danger to anyone. Celestia was pleased to learn that Sunset had been so helpful in Twilight's quest. "It seems she has finally learned something from my lessons" She commented happily. Both princesses were surprised to learn that they had human counterparts in the other world who also held positions of influence.

"Your human counterparts may not be princesses, but they can be just as regal" Twilight smiled as the tiniest of blushes appeared on Celestia's cheek and Luna shifted uneasily.

"Well, it sure sounds like ya had one hum-dinger of an adventure, Twilight!" Applejack commented happily, then her happy attitude suddenly deflated and she glanced down at the floor. "Sure wish we coulda gone with ya, though" She added.

"This other world certainly sounds like an amazing place" Rarity agreed.

"And meeting our human doubles would have been sooooooo much fun" Pinkie added before giving a big dramatic sigh.

Twilight heard a chuckle at her shoulder and glanced down at Spike, who was sniggering. "Gee Pinkie Pie!" He said in a rather loud tone. "It's funny you should mention that!" He bumped against Twilight's leg with his elbow. "Come on! Show them!"

Twilight laughed. "Okay! Okay!" She charged up her horn and used her magic to open her saddlebags and lift out five envelopes. "These are for you" She said, levitating to the letters over to her friends, sorting them by the cutie mark symbols on the back.

"Oooh, what are they?" Pinkie asked, perking up as she plucked hers out of the magical aura.

"Letters from your human counterparts" Twilight told them. "I'd told them about you before, and just before I left they asked me to give them to you. I think you'd better read them"

For a minute, the only sound was the the ripping of paper. Then there were exclamations of delight. It seems that each of the girls had slipped a picture of themselves in with their letters, to the amused reactions of Twilight's friends.

"Oh my gosh! Look at her face!" Rainbow Dash was laughing so hard she literally fell out of the air. "This is supposed to be me?"

"No, It's supposed to be your human twin silly!" Pinkie piped up before turning to gaze at the picture of the human Pinkie. "Wow, humans have tiny muzzles. How can they smell anything?"

"Trust me Pinkie" Twilight assured her. "They can smell just fine."

"Hmm. Can't say much about her dress, but this 'other me' sure has good taste in hats." Applejack commented, tapping the brim of her Stetson.

"Are you _kidding_?!" Rarity exclaimed, fawning over the picture that had come in hers. "Just look at the dress that I...me..er..she..is wearing! It is to _die_ for! She is _such_ a talent..I mean_ I'm_ such a talent, because she's me. Oh I feel a idea coming on! I..." Rarity paused as another picture fluttered out of her envelope. Picking it up with he magic, she turned it to face her, and gasped loudly, dropping everything else.

Everypony looked at her. "Is something wrong Rarity?" Luna asked, taking a step forward.

Rarity didn't answer right away, instead her eyes slowly traveled from the picture to Twilight. Her body was beginning to tremble. "T-T-Twilight?" She squeaked, then turned the picture so that everyone could see it. "Is this..._her?_" The picture was of Twilight before the Fall Formal, wearing the dress that the human Rarity had designed. She stood in a suggestive pose, hands spread out towards the camera as if saying; _what do you think?_ "Is this _your_ human counterpart?"

"Wow" Fluttershy breathed, her eyes wide and sparkling. "She's so pretty"

"Ya can say that again" Applejack nodded, her voice so low it was hard to her her, She too stared wide-eyed at the picture.

"Definitely!" Pinkie added, but her voice was also low. Rainbow Dash didn't say anything, she just hung in the air with her mouth open.

"Uh...no" Twilight replied, sweating a little at her friend's reactions while Spike tried his best not to crack up. "Actually, that's _me._ It was taken during my first visit to the human world.

"This is...is _you?_" Rarity gasped, her eyes wide. Twilight swallowed uneasily and nodded. "Princess Celestia, you _have_ to see this!" Rarity levitated the photo over to the princess, who caught it in her own magical aura and held it up for her and her sister to observe. Their eyes widened.

"Oh my" Luna gasped, which made Twilight blush.

Celestia simply stared at the picture, then glanced up at Twilight and smiled. "The dress suits you well Twilight. It makes you look very...regal" Twilight's wings popped up as she flushed a deep crimson, which made Celestia and Luna chuckle.

"That's it!" Rarity exclaimed, stomping her hoof firmly on the floor, startling Twilight. "Twilight, the next time you go through that portal..." The white unicorn paused dramatically "We are coming with you!"

"B-but.." Twilight started to argue, but Rarity would hear none of it.

"No excuses!" She barked, then her stern look evaporated into an excited one. "We simply _have_ to go with you! These creatures have such amazing fashion sense! I could learn _soooo_ much from them!"

"I wouldn't mind seeing how different the animals there are from animals here" Fluttershy spoke up next, also looking excited.

"And _I'd_ love to see just how awesome this other me is!" Rainbow Dash crowed from above them. "Not that there's gonna be much of a contest!" She quickly added.

Twilight snorted. "Oh I don't know, Rainbow Dash. The human you is pretty competitive"

"Oooh, this is so exciting!" Pinkie squealed. "I've never thrown an inter-dimensional party before! I'm gonna need help! Ooooh! Maybe the human me can help, she must love parties as much as I do!"

"That would be an understatement" Spike muttered under his breath.

"Well Twilight. What do ya say? Will ya take us with ya next time?" Applejack asked.

Twilight personally wasn't sure that was such a good idea, but looking at her friends pleading faces, she found it hard to say no. "Okay" She relented

"You _promise!_?" Pinkie leaned in close until she and Twilight were literally eye-to-eye.

Twilight sighed, but smiled. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye" She mimed the action as she spoke. "The next time I go through the portal, you can come with me" Her friends cheered happily and then went back to reading their letters. Twilight was about to speak to Spike when she saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna approaching.

"Well Twilight, it looks like you may have another exciting adventure very soon." Celestia smiled at her favorite student.

"Good luck with that, Twilight Sparkle" Luna nodded and the princesses turned to leave

Twilight suddenly gasped. "Wait a second!" The two princesses paused and glanced back. "I almost forgot something!" Twilight used her magic to levitate one last envelope from her saddle bag and over to the two princesses. "I was told to make sure to give this letter to you, princess Celestia"

"For me?" The white alicorn looked surprised. "Who is it from? My human counterpart?"

Twilight smiled widely as she shook her head. "No, somepony a little 'closer' to you than that"

Celestia frowned in confusion as she ripped off the top of the envelope with her magic. She unfolded the paper inside and held the paper out in front of her. Luna craned her neck to look at it too. Twilight watched Celestia's eyes begin to scan the paper, then saw them widen in surprise. She glanced up at Twilight, who nodded eagerly. Celestia returned to scanning the paper, and to her surprise, Twilight saw tears begin to form in the princesses's eyes.

Luna noticed the tears too. "Sister, are you alright?" She asked, gently nudging Celestia with a wing. Celestia didn't answer, but she squeezed her eyes shut, forcing tears out from behind her eyelids. Her magic flickered and the letter fell to the floor. It read as follows:

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_I've asked Twilight to give this to you because I do not yet have the courage to speak to you face-to-face. _

_I just want to say, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not becoming the student you wanted me to be. I was too impatient, too self-concerned, to see what you were teaching me. I realize that now. I remember when you first showed me the mirror that lead to this world, and you asked me what I saw in it. I saw me as an alicorn and thought that meant I was destined to become a princess, to rule by your side. But I was wrong. I now see that what I saw was a prelude to what you have taught Twilight, that Friendship is Magic. Please forgive me for taking so long to understand. _

_I'm sorry for all the pain I gave you, both before and after I left you. I was horrible to everypony around me, including you, when I really had no reason to be. When I arrived here, I used that same cruelty to abuse the inhabitants of this world for many moons. Even now, though most of them have come to forgive me for what I have done, I still feel that I have much to atone for. But maybe someday, when I am finally ready for forgive myself, I would like to come back to Equestria and see you again, if you'll allow it. _

_Until then, I remain your former student,_

_Sunset Shimmer_

_P.S There's something else in the envelope I think you'll want to see_

Twilight glanced up from the letter to the envelope and used her magic to turn it over. Three photographs came spilling out. One of them was of Sunset Shimmer herself, wearing a pink top, orange miniskirt, purple-and-black boots, and her trademark leather jacket, and smiling at the camera with a hand extended outwards. The second picture was of Sunset in the middle of a group hug with the human Mane Six. And the third picture was of the Mane six, the sirens, Imitae, the human Twilight and Sunset, and the human Celestia and Luna, all in costume, standing in costume in front of the school doors. Sunset herself was in the exact middle of the picture with 'Sunset' on her left and 'Twilight' on her right. Twilight was right behind her and had a hand on Sunset's shoulder.

A small sob made Twilight glance up from the pictures to see a trail of tears traveling down Celestia's face. "My little Sunset" She sobbed, her voice choked with sadness.

Twilight watched helplessly as her mentor silently cried. "Princess Celestia?" She said weakly. The white alicorn opened a watery eye and looked at her. "I-I know that she would love to see you again. She always did look up to you, and she's really learned a lot since she ran away"

Celestia seemed boosted by Twilight's words, for she took a steady breath and wiped her tears away. "Yes, Twilight, you're right." She smiled down at the purple alicorn. "And I do forgive her. I always thought...that it was my fault she ran away. I felt...that I never made enough effort to connect with her, like I did with you"

Luna placed a wing on her sister's shoulder. "Sister, you should know by now that even royalty makes mistakes. Believe _me!_" Luna rolled her eyes as she spoke, which made Twilight and Celestia chuckle.

"And now you have a chance to make it up to her" Twilight added. "You can show her that you still care about her. You can..." Twilight paused, and her eyes suddenly widened and she gasped.

"Twilight, what is it?" Celestia asked.

Twilight felt a smile appear on her face as an idea formed inside her mind. The more she thought about it, the bigger her smile got, until she was beaming from ear to ear. "I just came up with the best...idea...ever!" She chuckled to herself, rubbing her hooves together as the two princesses glanced at each other, each looking as confused as the other felt.

* * *

**And CUT! THAT'S A WRAP!**

**With the writing of these words, I hereby announce this story complete!**

**A special thanks to Elizabeth Fire Ice Heart, Inyocloset, Chipmunkfanatic, and all the other readers who left comments. Without your reviews, this story might have taken a lot longer to finish. **

**For those of you wondering what Twilight's idea might be, I DO have a sequel planned. Not sure WHEN I'll get around to it, but know that it IS coming!**

**So, what did you think of Seeing Double? Did you find this story worth reading, or was it a big waste of your time? I WANT TO KNOW!**

**Be sure to read and review my other stories as well! Let me know if they are worth finishing! **

**Until next time! **


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